Trader Joe’s Panettone & Marzipan Stollen – Which One’s Better?
2 Delicious Breads from Trader Joes – the Panettone and the Stollen
Panettone and Stollen – unique breads with candied fruits inside, similar in concept and very different in style. The Panettone is a fluffy, light, beautiful bread with raisins and candied fruit dispersed throughout, and the Stollen is a dense, loaf-shaped bread with candied fruits and nuts, a marzipan center, and a covering of powdered sugar.
Which one do I prefer?
Comparing the Trader Joe’s panettone and stollen in particular, the panettone wins hands down. I find the panettone more fun with a cute shape, and it’s way less messy to eat than the stollen.
Panettone
When I Buy It
Pre-Thanksgiving through Christmas is my favorite time to go to Trader Joe’s to stock up and consume their delicious holiday selections, notably their panettone. I’ve had TJ’s panettone since I was little, and haven’t gotten sick of it.
What’s In It
Per TJ’s site, TJ’s panettone is made by artisanal bakers in Veneto, Italy using real butter, with plump, juicy raisins, and candied fruit that are studded throughout. It’s been ~$5 for many years, and I usually go through 3 – 4 of these between November and December. It’s so good by itself that I usually have some for breakfast with some coffee, and more later in the day as a snack with some tea. I normally do not enjoy raisins and candied fruit (orange peels in this case), but they are a welcome compliment to the light buttery sweetness of the panettone.
Panettone Outside of TJs
TJ’s panettone is the only one I’ve had, so I’d love to try some fresh, not pre-packaged panettone from a bakery or even make my own. I’ll definitely try some fresh panettone if I come across it in the wild, but overall I am happy with TJ’s panettone!
Stollen
First Time I’ve Tried It
I worked at a French bakery during my senior year of high school, and various seasonal treats were sold, including stollen during the year-end holidays. I had no idea what stollen was back then, but it looked beautiful inside the clear bag in which they were packaged. We were encouraged to sample everything so that we could provide our own opinions about the products if customers asked, so I tried some. The first thing I noticed was that it had a rich rum flavor, which I enjoyed a bit more than I should have back then. I remember the thin layer of powdered sugar on the loaf, along with the candied fruits and nuts throughout the bread portion, some of which were noticeable within the clear bag. The stollen was dense, tasty, and very rum-licious.
My TJ’s Stollen Experience
I saw stollen at TJ’s and decided to give it a try. Their stollen contains raisins, orange peel, cherries, walnuts, and a marzipan center. I opened the box as soon as I got home, and the stollen was in an opaque shiny silver bag. It was not as presentable as the panettone inside its packaging, but ultimately it’s the taste that matters, right? I opened the silvery bag and wow… SO MUCH POWDERED SUGAR!!
The Mess
OK, the stollen box/bag should come with a warning to open carefully, preferably over a plate or the sink. There was so much powdered sugar that I could dump it all into a cup and make a side of frosting, and still have plenty left on the stollen. It was significantly different from the stollen I had at the bakery.
The Taste and Texture
The stollen was very dense and easier to cut into even slices compared to the panettone, but powdered sugar fell everywhere with each cut and movement. The marzipan center was clearly visible, so no false advertising there. I was not a fan of all the powdered sugar, but the cake part itself had a decent texture. The cake did less to mellow the flavors of the candied fruits (notably orange) and nuts as well, so I wasn’t as much of a fan of the overall taste, but it did go well with coffee and tea.
Overall
I can’t get over how messy TJ’s stollen was, making it a much easier choice for me to declare TJ’s panettone as the winner.
