Chocolate Pandoro Star

The Chocolate Pandoro Star is a Christmas recipe that transforms the classic pandoro into an even more delicious dessert, thanks to the addition of chocolate. Here’s how to proceed with making this sweet treat.

Ingredients

• 1 pandoro
• 200 g of dark chocolate
• 100 g of fresh cream
• Powdered sugar as needed

Preparation

1. Start by breaking the chocolate into small pieces and transfer it into a heat-resistant bowl.
2. In a small pot, heat the fresh cream until it is about to boil. Then, pour it over the chocolate and wait a minute for the chocolate to start melting.
3. Gently stir the cream with the chocolate until you obtain a smooth and even ganache.
4. Cut the pandoro into horizontal slices creating several layers, about 1.5 cm thick each.
5. Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache on each slice of pandoro and then reassemble the pandoro by stacking the layers on top of each other.
6. It is recommended to let the pandoro rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, to allow the ganache to slightly solidify.
7. Before serving, dust the surface of the pandoro with powdered sugar for decoration.

This dessert paired with chocolate enhances the softness and the sweet flavor of pandoro, creating a pleasant contrast with the intense taste of dark chocolate.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can personalize it in many ways. For example, for an Italian note, you could add a little orange liquor to the ganache for a citrus touch, or perhaps some chopped hazelnuts for a contrast in texture.

Curiosity

The chocolate pandoro star is an example of how Italian cuisine loves to festively “recycle” holiday food, turning leftovers into new delicacies. It is also a perfect example of how pandoro, a typical sweet from Verona born in the 19th century, is versatile and lends itself to creative reinterpretations.