There was one Christmas when my dad and I decided to bake panettone from scratch. Dad was a superb baker, but we'd never made panettone before, just lots of pain au chocolat, and that internally fluffy, externally crusty white bread (served warm with butter). What we both adore about panettone was the sheer range of flavours you can build into it, and those crunchy little pieces of sugar running through.
This bar is our translation of that memory into chocolate no actual panettone in it, but the same festive, fruit-and-nut warmth: candied orange, dried cherries and toasted pistachios, with pearl sugar for that same crunch, all set into deep, fruity dark chocolate.
This chocolate comes from an ultra-rare cacao varietal; the white "Blanco" bean, found along Peru's coastal desert and nearly extinct when it was rediscovered. It's deep and fruity, with primary notes of red berries and pecan, and a secondary lift of lime. Over a decade of work in the region has turned deforested land back into shaded cacao gardens, more than doubled farmer incomes, and given growers a stronger collective voice. Every bar made with Piura 75% supports that work continuing.