Italians will spend over billions of euros on Christmas Eve: 500 million more than pre-Covid Christmas. However, the surge in spending will be driven not by increased consumption, but by widespread price increases, often driven by the soaring cost of raw materials.
For years, consumer attention has focused on the "expensive panettone," a term referring to the rising cost of the traditional Christmas dessert, both industrially produced and artisanal, especially during the holiday season. And there's every reason for this: high-end artisanal panettone is starting to reach and exceed 50 euros per kilo—with the extreme example of Igino Massari's panettone reaching 120 euros—while we're not even getting to the stratospheric examples of luxury panettone covered in gold leaf or decorated with diamonds that can cost 500.000 or even 700.000 euros.
Homemade, budget-friendly versions of panettone struggle with the difficulty of making them, which require a series of tricks that are difficult to achieve at home.
Molino Merano, a South Tyrolean company specializing in grain processing and sourdough starter, is now offering a kit to housewives, bringing familiar gestures and the warm aromas of the holidays back into the kitchen.
Molino Merano's chocolate chip panettone kit is a blend of select flours designed to guide even beginners through a recipe that combines skill, patience, and the joy of experimenting.
Molino Merano promises housewives to make a panettone distinguished by its softness, fluffy texture, and the distinctive aroma of sourdough starter, the true heart of the dough. The golden crust encloses a "rich and harmonious interior, where chocolate chips add a delicious, contemporary touch."
Making it requires just a few ingredients added to the mixture, a few steps in the mixer, and enough time for the dough to come to life and rise slowly. Once transferred to the mold, the panettone completes its transformation in the oven.
The package contains everything you need: the flour blend with sourdough starter, chocolate chips, a classic mold, and a recipe booklet with the complete recipe and a selection of Christmas cookie recipes. All you need are a few fresh ingredients—honey, egg yolk, butter, and water—and simple steps to bring a festive atmosphere into your home, filled with anticipation, care, and the small satisfactions that come from "making with your own hands."
To complete the offering, Molino Merano has developed an entire line of products dedicated to home use—including gluten-free versions—which, thanks to experience gained in the professional world, have been adapted to the needs and rhythms of the home kitchen.
