THE classic Italian panettone, made with sweet-tasting bread and candied fruit, is proving a big Christmas hit over here.

Waitrose is reporting sales are up 57 per cent year-on-year, while Selfridges has ordered 80 per cent more stock of its salted caramel recipe after selling out last year.

We asked writer and mum of three Lynsey Hope for her verdict on this year’s supermarket sweets, scoring each out of ten for taste.

Morrisons The Best classic fruit panettone

750g, £7

I AM a big fan of this version, which looked and tasted like a giant hot cross bun.

It had a lovely soft, buttery texture and a golden crust.

It was quite traditional in terms of flavour, with juicy currants and citrus aromas from candied peel. Great price, too. These will fly off the shelves.

8/10

Waitrose Christmas chocolate panettone

750g, £10

CUTTING into this, it was more like chocolate cake than panettone. It was tasty and looked impressive, with a good coating of chocolate ganache on top.

But if you want chocolate, there are better options out there.

At £10, it is quite pricey.

5/10

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Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference orange and “prosecco doc” panettone

800g, £7.50

WINNER

LOVELY citrus flavours but this packs an extra punch by adding a touch of prosecco.

It was just the right amount to give this a special Christmassy feel without being overpowering.

The panettone is traditional but I liked the modern twist with the flavour. You could taste the orange peel in each bite and out of all I tried, it was the softest and fluffiest, a little like brioche.

It came in a lovely gift box with a ribbon and would make a lovely Christmas present. My favourite.

10/10

Marks & Spencer triple chocolate panettone

750g, £10

RUNNER-UP

THIS looked like a giant cupcake and was covered in a good layer of chocolate ganache, with chocolate chips on top.

Inside, there is a good quantity of gooey chocolate sauce throughout. It was delicious . . . if a little rich.

It felt very indulgent but would make a perfect Christmas treat or gift. If you are not a fan of traditional panettone, make this your number one choice.

9/10

Asda Extra Special classic panettone

500g, £4.50

THIS had an impressive rise and cut well. The flavour was lovely but I would have preferred a bit more fruit.

At £4.50 it’s a great price, though, and it came in an attractive gift box.

6/10

Lidl Deluxe classic panettone

750g, £3.69

I HAD high hopes for this but was left disappointed. It was a real high-rise and looked impressive as it came out of the box, but it was hard to cut and I ended up with a squidgy mess on my plate.

A bit dry too and probably my least favourite of the bunch. You get the most by weight for your money but I’m sorry to say I wouldn’t buy it again.

3/10

Aldi Specially Selected chocolate panettone

100g, 99p

I LOVE these mini ones. So often I cut into a big panettone but end up wasting a lot, as it goes dry before it gets eaten.

These are still big enough to share, light and fluffy and make a cute Christmas gift.

A great idea from Aldi to sell these mini versions . . . and maybe better for the waistline too.

7/10

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