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I'm on the fence.... when its fresh, its soft and fluffy and delicious with morning tea/coffee, but that only lasts 1 day and it takes a full week to finish a whole panettone. If you're *unlucky*, it will be past its prime when you buy it and you won't even get that 1 day of yumminess, will not pass GO, and will go straight to dry, awful, stale panettone.

I like pannettone but I don't like seeing it being sold in weird places like: TJ Maxx, hardware stores, gas stations. (I've seen it at all of these) It just makes me think it's a giant imported hostess cake. If it's fresh, then yes.

I love to make Panettone "pancakes". I cut rounds or triangles and pan them with butter until a little crispy on each side. I make a maple port reduction, then sear some foie and gently place it on top and well.......I guess I am a Yea!

But honestly folks, there's nothing like a homemade panettone. If you're game, try the recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaums' The Bread Bible.

I think it's amazing, but I agree that it should be homemade or fresh from a good bakery.

I say yea. Even if a little stale, it still makes a good sponge for chocolate fondue!

NAY!!!! I remember when my I was promised a "special treat" in Italian Class. What a total letdown that it was Panettone

i really like that box :/

whats not to like about panettone! its delicious christmas happiness.

but not the kind you find at the end of the aisle in the supermarket, thats just gross bread they are trying to pass off as panettone.

hate it.

Do not like. :) Here in Italy, though, we have a better alternative - "Pandoro" - pane di oro (bread of gold) which is basically panettone without the candied fruit!! I infinitely prefer it and you can do a lot of things with it - french toast and other desserts.

i like panettone, but i love pandoro! with coffee or asti/ moscato.

This is huge in Brazil, we also get chocolate Panettone (chocolate drops instead of the fruit).

I prefer the Pandoro, like rosso99, we have that in Brazil too, but mostly during Easter for some reason!

Yea...I grew up in an Italian home, and this was always part of the Christmas season. We would have it toasted with our coffee in the morning around this time of year. Toasting forgives even a bit of staleness...and it's quite yummy as french toast. I have to be honest though...I think I like it more because of the memories it conjures up, than the actual taste or texture of it.
I still say Yea, though.

Simply toasted and buttered - divine.

I'll join in the chorus of fond praise: actually, make that 4 votes, because we all love it. There are different versions, tho, so if someone winds up with an inferior version, I'd agree bread pudding is the way to go. (We can't throw anything away.)

Ah. The old Pannettone debate. Thanks to our proximity to Italy, here in Malta we feel the full force of the Christmas PT onslaught. I LOVE it. In all its myriad forms. We get the basic sort plus a host of different varieties. One of the most sumptuous in a Baci branded one! The best best best come from Milan (traditional home of the PT) and I always try to get those. As with all things - pay a little more and you get quality... make sure you get "Tre Marie" brand - you will be in PT heaven.

Panettone yay, for me -- Even the boxed ones can be nice, if you don't mind soaking it with spiced rum. :)

(And for the curious: Keep the panettone wrapped, add about a cup or so of rum, let it soak in. You'll want to wait about a week, turning it once a day to make sure it soaks evenly.)

I love fruitcake but hated how dry this abomination was when I bought one at, I think, Trader Joe last year. I hate dry and crumbly bread. Hopefully it's really moist fresh-baked; otherwise, no thanks.

mmmmmmmmmm. Panetone and my toaster will make beautiful music together this year for the full week after christmas. butter some days, cream cheese others...oh the joy, the rapture.

It is not Christmas without Panetone...when I was little my Nonna's brother would send one to us from Italy and I loved having something come from so far away. I look forward to it every year. It is great toasted with butter or in a bread pudding. For me, it so much more than just the Panetone itself--it is what is says about my family, our traditions, etc.

I LOOOOVE panettone!

Although I've never had it myself, I'd say that the still wrapped one that's been sitting in the office all week leans towards the fruitcake column...

Love it! I'm Argentinian and it's a big deal there. it wouldn't be Christmas without it. My uncle used to strategically stockpile it during Christmas so he could eat it for most of the year.

I dislike panettone for the same reason I never touch fruitcake - I don't eat cooked or dried or candied fruit, ever. However, I am fond of pandoro, the fruitless version of panettone, or the one with chocolate chips instead of fruit.

As a nice jewish boy, my introduction to panettone came by way of my italian ex-girlfriend. My verdict? as an ardent fruitcake hater, and christmas scrooge, i think panettone is all right. definitely edible, possibly tasty, and a great last resort dessert. i've even been tempted to pick one up at trader joes several times in the last few weeks. that said, i really find it to be fairly mediocre, if only because of my disdaine for the fruity bits that are never particularly delicious. the brioche is always delectable, and i would really like to try a pandoro, but can never seem to get my hands on it.