Icebergs and Sonoma Have Released a Limited-Edition Panettone Filled with Aussie Ingredients

This holiday season, restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room, Ciccia Bella, The Dolphin Hotel, Bondi Beach Public Bar) has joined forces with Sonoma Bakery to bring Sydneysiders a festive treat: an extra-special, limited-edition panettone.

An Italian sweet loaf first created in Milan, panettone is typically baked and eaten during the holidays. The Icebergs and Sonoma version is made for Christmas lunches and dinners, too, but this one combines traditional Italian techniques with native Aussie ingredients — so, it's made for enjoying alongside a plate of fresh prawns next to the pool (or on the beach).

This panettone has also been quite a labour of love — it took Sonoma Executive Pastry Chef Alejandro Luna and Icebergs' Head Chef Alex Prichard and Pastry Chef Brittany Smith nine months of testing and tweaking to perfect their creation. And it's not a simple creation, either. The sourdough starter goes through a three-step fermentation process, during which it's combined with some favourite local ingredients, including Pepe Saya butter and Heilala vanilla.

While traditional panettone is studded with the likes of dried raisins, candied orange and lemon zest, this one has a distinctly Aussie flavour. The chefs have instead added a mixture of roasted macadamias, davidson plum and sour cherries that have been soaked in lemon myrtle syrup. It's got a healthy dose of milk chocolate inside, too.

Once baked, the panettone are hung upside — as is the Italian way — in order to preserve the dome shape and crumbly texture. All up, this dessert takes over 36 hours to make.

If you're keen to nab a taste, the panettone is now available on the dessert menu at Bondi's Ciccia Bella, Surry Hills' The Dolphin and, of course, Icebergs. You can also nab a whole one for $35 to take along to your next Chrissie party from The Dolphin and Icebergs, as well as Woollahra's Victor Churchill and natural wine bottle shop Drnks (online store only). If all goes well, this collab panettone will become a new Christmas tradition.

The Icebergs X Sonoma panettone costs $35 and is now available to-go from The Dolphin, Icebergs, Victor Churchill and Drnks online store. You'll also find it on the dessert menu at Ciccia Bella, Icebergs and The Dolphin.