Castagnaccio
Castagnaccio, translating to chestnut cake, is a classic autumn dessert made throughout all of Italy with each region having its own recipe. This dense and nutty cake was first made in the Tuscan town of Lucca, dating back to the 15th century. Originally, the cake was made during the harvest time of chestnuts, as a poor man's dessert, when chestnuts are most abundant.
The main ingredient is chestnut flour, along with water, olive oil, pine nuts, and raisins. Rosemary, orange rind and dried fruit can also be added.
Ingredients
Preparation
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
In a mixing bowl, combine chestnut flour with olive oil and either water or milk - mix until smooth. Add pine nuts, raisins and chopped walnuts and stir.
In a greased pan, add the batter so it is about 1 cm in height. Sprinkle the rosemary on top. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until browned, hard and dry around the edges.