Recipe: Coffee Panettonne

This recipe is from a cookbook my stepmother gave me, Nutbread and Nostalgia, favorite recipes from the junior league of South Bend, Indiana.

Coffee Panettonne

While baking, this Italian breakfast or tea bread has the delightful aroma of roasting coffee beans.

1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup strong, warm coffee
2 T. butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup mixed, diced, candied fruit
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Confectioner's sugar frosting (recipe follows)
Diced candied fruit for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add warm coffee, butter, salt, sugar, baking soda and vanilla. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in enough flour to make a dough barely stiff enough to knead. Knead 7 to 10 minutes, kneading in the fruits and nuts at the end. Place dough in a greased bowl cover with a moist towel. Let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F.) until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Knead a few times to remove remaining bubbles. Divide dough in half. Form into 2 balls and place in 2 well-greased 1 pound coffee cans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough nearly reaches the rim. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Frost with Confectioner's Sugar Frosting and sprinkle additional fruits on top.

Confectioner's Sugar Frosting
1/3 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb. Confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 Tablespoons milk

Combine butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar and salt. Stir in milk, beating until mixture is smooth and of spreading consistency.