I'm thinking of making a few panettones for Christmas presents, this year. At what time would you recommend? This question is largely motivated by the potential for them to spoil or go stale; but also, if there's any maturation time, that would be good to know.
I'm guessing the water activity level is probably pretty low, so they won't spoil quickly and staleness would be more of a concern. I remember them being made commercially (in Italy) in October, but presumably they have access to better preservatives.