If your December plans involve bouncing between holiday markets, parties and end-of-year deadlines, here’s a sweeter pit stop to add to the list: Panettone Fest, a celebration of Italy’s most beloved holiday cake, is landing right in Union Square.
On Saturday, December 13, Minuto Bauli’s bakery at 866 Broadway will turn its shop into a pop-up panettone wonderland from 3:30pm to 5:30pm—because nothing says “seasonal spirit” like a mountain of buttery, raisin-studded bread.
The bakery, also known for its Italian-style baked doughnuts, is teaming up with GialloZafferano, a global Italian recipe platform, to host an afternoon of free tastings and cozy festivities. Once you step inside, you’ll be greeted with slices of Minuto Bauli’s signature panettone, made with naturally leavened dough and a short-but-perfect ingredient list: butter, sugar, eggs, raisins and candied orange. It’s the same recipe that the Bauli family has perfected for more than a century… and it shows.
At the center of the event is a giant panettone, which will quite literally be cracked open for the crowd. After the big reveal, New York-based chef and food media personality Alessandra Ciuffo will step in for a live pastry-cream demo. Guests can try her freshly whisked crema spooned over a warm slice of panettone, ideally with a cup of hot chocolate prepared on the spot.
The partnership with GialloZafferano adds an extra layer of culinary fun. The brand’s U.S. arm, @giallolovesitaly, has been steadily bringing real-deal Italian cooking stateside, and Panettone Fest channels that energy into something you can taste, watch and, most importantly, eat.
Between the Union Square crowds and the holiday rush, the timing is perfect: you can duck in for a slice (or several), warm your hands on some hot chocolate and pretend for a moment that you’re on a December stroll through Milan.
Entry is free and the whole thing is open to the public—no need to book a ticket unless you want a reminder through Eventbrite. Just show up on December 13, walk into Minuto Bauli and let the panettone handle the rest.
Dining and Cooking