Five panettones tested by our team

As every year, we grab panettones, this Italian brioche that we taste during the holidays. We’ve been around town – don’t hesitate if you want one – to select five hand-crafted ones for our colleagues to sample. Here are the reactions from their taste buds.

Elena

Instead of choosing the Classico, we opted for the panettone “alla Elena”, named after the establishment in Saint-Henri, whose description – dark chocolate, cranberry and candied orange peel – tested the waters. However, reactions were divided at the time of tasting. Some loved the texture and blend of flavors, while others thought the combination just didn’t work. There was more of a cake look than a panettone to this product, which was described as “funky”. Special mention to the sweet crunch on top and the beautiful yellow, almost golden color on the inside of the brioche. Not to mention the box, nicely decorated, which without embarrassment is brought to a holiday dinner.

$48 for 500g

viva panettone

The reputation of Viva panettone, a company created by Éric Goeury (Les Co’Pains d’abord) and Anthony Daniele (Le pain dans les voiles), is well established. Among the six flavors offered by the duo, we chose the traditional, composed of homemade candied fruit, sultana grapes and vanilla from Guadeloupe and Tahiti. First impression: The panettone is fresh, almost too much, in fact to the point where it is difficult to cut and hangs under the knife blade. In the same spirit, the brioche is extremely soft and tender in the mouth. This texture appeals to many tasters, but some find it just too soft. However, many emphasize the taste of citrus fruits and candied fruits.

$45 for 500g

breadcrumbs

Chez Miette, in Little Burgundy, offers a sourdough panettone, made with a chocolate and hazelnut praline. A promising blend that did not please everyone, as many found it too dry, not soft enough. If the consistency was unfortunately not there, the presence of chocolate could give a little pep to this panettone, which for most tasters is more like a cake. However, the box, very beautiful in each of its facets, like this very beautiful bakery, will steal the show of the evening.

$64 for 730g

autumn bakery

The clothes don’t make the monk, and this panettone from the Automne bakery is proof of that. While the packaging was probably the most common among those we had selected, the product inside won over most tasters. “Pan-Automne,” as it’s called at the Rosemont bakery, is decidedly on the traditional side with its candied oranges, honey, and vanilla; many have also detected a slight almond flavor. It is soft and airy, airy, not too sweet for some – not enough for others – and its subtle flavor corresponds exactly to the idea we have of a traditional panettone.

$35 for 500g

art and farina

This panettone delighted the hearts of our tasters. We chose the most classic option among the three made by the Italian bakery Arte & farina, located in the village. Its candied fruits – oranges, lemons and grapes – are the most successful element of the brioche, according to our colleagues, who would even have liked to see more of them in the dough. Balanced, light, tasty, this panettone was enjoyed in all its simplicity. Its beautiful paper packaging also stood out.

$39 for 500g