Panettone Scones

a small batch recipe inspired by an Italian classic

December 24th. Christmas Eve and Hanukkah Eve, though the latter isn’t really a thing.

I decided to really mix things up for tonight’s menu. Until tonight, I’ve clung to tradition, always featuring seafood. I grew up with Feast of the Seven Fishes, although I only heard it referred to that way as an adult. When I was a kid it was just our typical Christmas Eve meal. My uncle hosted every year, and would cook an unbelievable amount of food after coming from 5pm Christmas Eve mass.

Dinner usually got started around 7:30pm, and ended in the wee hours of Christmas morning. We’d wake the next day, and come back for a Christmas Day lunch of prime rib after a marathon session of opening gifts.

It’s impossible to understand just how fleeting those moments are as a child. When you’re a kid, the days take so long to pass, and family commitments often feel more a chore than a gift. Adulthood teaches us the days are long but the years are short—too short.