4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla OR liqueur (e.g. Rum)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

2. Grease baking pan.

3. In an electric mixer, beat eggs.

4. Add sugar and mix well.

5. Add vegetable oil and mix well.

6. Add flour and mix well.

7. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla Or liqueur.

8. Add baking powder and mix well.

9. Add lemon juice.

10. Fold in finely grated lemon zest.

11. Bake in a pre-heated 350 F degree oven for about 45 minutes.

The "panetonne" most North Americans are familiar with are those that are imported from Northern Italy and sold in local Italian grocery shops. In the 1960s they were only available during the Christmas and/or Easter holidays. Nowadays they're available year-round. Most second-generation Italian-Canadians whose parents were born in Southern Italy simply assume (I did anyway) that all panetonne look similar to the ones that are presently imported from Milan and other Northern Italian cities. It seems, however, that in the South (at least, prior to World War II) panetonne did not resemble Northern Italy's famous tall sweet yeast dough cakes that are lavishly flavored with raisins, candied fruits and chocolate creams. According to my aunt, Zia Rosina Melfi, who grew up in Molise in the 1930s, panetonne holiday breads were made with flour, sugar, eggs, olive oil, and yeast. Lemon zest and home-made liqueurs were used for flavoring. Back then Southern-style "panetonne" holiday breads tasted more like specialty breads than tall cakes. When Southern Italians immigrated to North America in the 1950s they fell in love with the Northern-style of panetonne and quickly adapted their own recipes to resemble the more popular Northern-style yeast dough cakes. Also, many Italians (as did my aunt) started to use baking powder instead of yeast, and vegetable oil instead of olive oil. Nothing stays the same forever, and for good reason. Cooks everywhere want to make improvements and/or save on time.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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