A soft panettone with spreadable pistachio cream.
Rating: 7/10
A staple on Italian tables, panettone is undoubtedly one of the iconic desserts of Christmas. Among the many variations, the pistachio panettone is a must, and navigating the numerous artisanal or supermarket options is no easy task.
The Sicilian company "Fiasconaro", based near Palermo, has managed to turn its soft and tasty panettoni into a true hallmark of the brand. Among their various offerings, the Fiasconaro pistachio panettone is, of course, a must-have.
The attention to packaging is absolutely meticulous, with a bold stylistic choice to use "blue" as the signature color for their pistachio product (rather than the classic green). The box opening mechanism is quite unique, and inside, along with the panettone and cream, we also find a handy spreader (a real treat!).
The dough is soft and well-leavened, with a truly good panettone flavor. Although simple, without raisins or candied fruit, it doesn't lean too much towards a pandoro. After all, Fiasconaro is a master of panettone, and even with large-scale distribution, they manage to offer dough quality significantly superior to supermarket versions.
The topping is made of white chocolate and pistachio, so it is slightly green, although this does not contribute in any way to the pistachio flavor. The whole pistachios embedded on top are nice, and quite good as well.
The cream, with 22% pistachio, has a great aroma, even if the consistency is a bit too firm, which makes it slightly difficult to spread. The pistachio flavor of the cream is distinct, quite sweet, although with a strong base aftertaste. The color, a very bright green, is definitely unnatural, but nice to look at. The combination with the dough is very pleasant, and the cream tastes better this way than when eaten on its own.
The quality of the cream, combined with the simplicity of the dough, creates a very pleasant product with a good pistachio flavor, even if it is not intense. The cream, despite the relatively low pistachio percentage, is surprising.
Ultimately, it is a good product, even if very expensive, which deserves a rating of 7/10, for a pistachio flavor that is present, but not dominant.
