Novi Nocciolato Chocolate & Hazelnuts Bar 130g

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EK: “This is a pretty good, very classic panettone. It’s fruit heavy but it needs more citrus; there’s enough peel, but it’s missing the citrus oil. It’s very similar to the Tesco panettone, but it’s better and cheaper.” Score 7.5/10 EK: “It looks like a Ferrero Rocher. The chocolate is quite thin, which I’m happy about; the caramel is so cinnamon-y and there’s so much of it; the bread is bland on its own. It’s crazy how sweet this is, it’s headache-inducing.” Score 3/10

With so many varieties on offer, we asked Deborah Parietti, Director & Founder of Feast Italy what to look out for in the perfect panettone.Panettone is usually opened at the end of the Christmas feast, and is delicious served alongside coffee, dessert wine, hot chocolate or tea, as well as bubbles,” Parietti recommends. Feeding a crowd? Although not included in this round of testing, we have to point out the Selfridges Selection Panettone Hamper — it’s a bumper selection of all things panettone, including a liqueur and chocolates, all inspired by the Italian bake. How do you tell a good panettone?

BE: “This looks better than the picture on the box, which is rare. It feels dense, and the texture of the cream inside is just odd and way too sweet. The bread doesn’t have enough orange in it for a chocolate-orange panettone, either.” Score 4/10 EK: “That chocolate cream is disgusting, it’s so sweet. It’s missing the citrus, so it doesn’t taste like panettone, but the taste and texture of the filling is the main takeaway – and that’s bad. You wouldn’t want a big chunk of this.” Score 4/10 BE: “Appearance-wise it’s not giving a lot. Oh gosh, what’s this? Coffee cream! The cream is odd; it tastes like fake, diluted coffee and the texture coats your tongue. No, don’t buy this. I’m not even getting tiramisu – you’d be better off buying a tiramisu, buying a panettone, and enjoying them separately.” Score 1/10 BE: “This isn’t panettone; we’ve gone too far over the line. There’s none of that classic panettone flavour (apart from the peel) to redeem it, and it’s all sugar. It does look playful and fun, though, so it could be good for kids.” Score 3.5/10EK: “This has one of the nicest shapes, but I’m ambivalent; there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s not special, and there’s only a very small aftertaste of alcohol. This is a very happy breakfast panettone.” Score 6.5/10 EK: “It’s quite dry and the least rich dough we’ve tried. The filling is better than Aldi’s but it’s still too sweet – all you’re left with at the end is an artificial taste. It needs some citrus peel to balance things out.” Score 5/10 Taste-wise, we’d be looking for a crust that is as soft as the middle, without any bitterness, or worse, burnt aftertaste. A good panettone should be moist but not greasy, with well-balanced ingredients that don’t overpower one another.” Should panettone be refrigerated?