Luisa Granata explains Italians' love of a simple Christmas yeast cake to Sandra Carter.

ITALIAN mums spend as much time as we do on the Christmas lunch until it comes to dessert. No steaming pud, brandy butter or mince pies to plan far ahead and worry about on the day. They just pull out the panettone.

This yeast cake is the must-have finale to every Christmas meal.

Luisa Granata, who has panettone piled up at Meluki, her Italian deli in The Broadway, Beaconsfield, explains: "It's the most popular Christmas cake throughout Italy. It always comes in a raised dome shape and the traditional version had raisins and candied peel in it, but now there are dozens of variations.

"People may spend five days preparing and cooking all the courses for the Christmas meal, but they don't cook a dessert. A panettone bought from the family baker is placed on the table, perhaps with nougat, nuts and chocolates alongside."

Panettone, she says, is part of her childhood memories of Christmas when she grew up in Rome. "We would start eating panettone at the beginning of December, whenever someone dropped in for coffee, at office parties, or all the time really. Some people have it after church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, or maybe for breakfast.

"Then they are sold off cheaply after Christmas so in January we eat it all the time. It's panettone pretty solidly for two months, then we don't have it for another year."

Traditionally Italians simply slice it and eat it by itself. But sometimes it's made up into a delectable creamy dessert, and some of Meluki's recipes are given here.

To enjoy your panettone at its best, once opened, keep it well wrapped or in a tin and use within a few days. Unopened, it keeps for weeks. Brits might like it toasted and buttered, or warmed and served with custard, which is certainly not Italian but is delicious.

Meluki stocks a traditional panettone and one with almond frosting, price from £9.