We’re well into the season of Autumn showers and new snowflakes falling…an image of everything in the garden sprinkled with a light dusting of icing sugar. Chestnuts are also in season, and although they’re not (of what I can remember in the past) the in thing over in my homeland, chestnuts are the “in” thing here at the moment.

I introduced you to our roasting methods here and have had many more Sunday family get together’s  since then, another family favourite is Castagnaccio it’s made from chestnut flour and originates from Tuscany. There are many variations of this recipe, but I found this one and I’m sticking to it! If you haven’t used or tried chestnut flour here’s your change to make a traditional Italian chestnut pie..read on for the recipe…

Recipe: Castagnaccio

Serves 4 – 6

300 g chestnut flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

grated zest of 1 orange

a handful of pine nuts

a handful of walnuts or hazelnuts

a handful of saltanas

a pinch of salt

2 teaspoons butter

Preparation:

Rest the saltanas in lukewarm water for about 5 minutes.Sift the chestnut flour into a bowl.Add a pinch of salt, sugar,1 tablespoon of olive oil and slowly bit by bit add the milk. Continue stirring the mixture, using a wooden spoon.

Next add the water, stirring,  forming a liquid (no lumps) mixture. Add the now plump saltanas, zest of orange, pines nuts and walnuts.

Grease a pie tin. after pouring in the mixture, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil around the edge, adding also the butter.

Add extra saltanas and pine nuts.Place in a hot oven 200°and cook for about an hour. Until the pie has a crisp,crackled surface, and the pie has changed a dark brown colour.

Each piece of Castagnaccio is filled with plump saltanas and nuts and no it’s not calorie free but share it around…!!

Enjoy!

Yvette…x