Panettone

We have received several of these little cakes as holiday gifts, and I have to admit, I wish we'd received a few less.  They are sort of the Brazilian version of a fruitcake.  They definitely have a hint of liquor in the batter but they are more bread than cake.  The panettone come in 2 varieties, a dried fruit version, and this one, which is "chocolate drops."  Luckily the kids all like the chocolate one, so we've been working our way through it. 

You can see by this picture (tabasco for scale) that it is big enough to share, but not as big as a layer cake.  They also come in small, personal sizes, which the kids received from their teachers. 

It must be about the most popular gift-food for Christmas here, because the grocery stores are full of them.  You can even buy them in decorated tins (reminds me of the popcorn tins available in the US during the holidays).  It seems to me that when people don't know what to give, they give Panettone.