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Recipes

Castagnaccio recipe

cake
Desserts

Castagnaccio is an ancient Tuscan dessert which was originally made just with chestnut flour (also known as farina dolce), water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some rosemary.

It may contain also raisins, pine nuts and walnuts. The recipe changes from area to area, from family to family, as befits a very traditional recipe. It is naturally gluten free and lactose free, and thanks to the chestnut flour it contains no sugar.

Castagnaccio recipe

Ingredients

  • 50 g of raisins
  • 1 tablespoons of vinsanto
  • 250 g of chestnut flour
  • 400 ml of water
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 20 g of pine nuts
  • 50 g of walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and soak the raisins in warm water with a tablespoon of vinsanto.

Add the chestnut flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the water a little at a time, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

Add the squeezed raising, half of the pine nuts and half of the walnuts, then stir again.

Grease a round baking dish with plenty of extra virgin olive and pour in the batter.

Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and walnuts, then add the rosemary needles.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the chestnut cake is dry on the top and covered with fine lines. You can eat it warm or cold.