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castagnaccio recipe

In this post, I’m sharing with you the authentic Castagnaccio recipe: a Tuscan delight for Fall celebrations. Make this earthy and flavorful chestnut cake to celebrate an Italian Christmas or Day of the Dead.

Pictures and recipe are from the Red & Orange Simposio cookbook.

castagnaccio chestnut cake with pine nuts, raisins and rosemary on top
castagnaccio mixture in the cake mold sprinkled with olive oil

WHAT IS CASTAGNACCIO

Castagnaccio is a sweet and thin chestnut flour cake baked in many Italian regions: Tuscany, Piedmont, Liguria, and Puglia. 

As always happens in our foodie peninsula, each area, town, and family have a jealously guarded Castagnaccio recipe. These chestnut cakes are made for Fall, especially for the “Festa dei Morti”, the Day of the Dead, and for Christmas.

THE LEGEND OF CASTAGNACCIO

Legend says the rosemary needles in Castagnaccio are a potent love elixir, so any girl trying to conquer the heart of a handsome young guy should offer him a slice of this dessert and make him hers forever…

The Castagnaccio recipe is a dish from the Red & Orange Simposio a cookbook series about Italy. Get your copy for more Italian Fall recipes, stories, traditions, and pictures!

the last cookbooks

VENICE

The city of Opulence.

FLORENCE

The city of Renaissance.

MATERA

The city of Sassi.

HOW TO MAKE AND SERVE CASTAGNACCIO

Castagnaccio has country origins, and it is a delicious combination of chestnut flour, raisins, pine nuts, rosemary, and olive oil. Besides preparing the nuts and spices, mixing them with sugar, olive oil, and chestnut flour, all you have to do is bake the cake for about forty minutes. 

Serve your Castagnaccio at room temperature, accompanied by a glass of Tuscan new wine.

Castagnaccio recipe from Italy #gourmetproject #fallrecipes
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Castagnaccio recipe

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Author Claudia Rinaldi

Ingredients

  • 10.5 oz chestnut flour 300 gr - 3 cups
  • 14 oz cow milk 400 gr - 1 + 2/3 cups
  • 0.9 oz raisins 25 gr - about two tablespoons + 1-2 extra tablespoons
  • 0.5 oz pine nuts 15 gr - about a tablespoon + 1 extra tablespoon
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 glass + 1 extra tablespoon
  • 1/2 rosemary sprig + 1/2 extra sprig
  • 1.5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

  2. Place the raisins in a cup of water and set them aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil and the rosemary sprig in a small pot (don’t get to a boil).
  4. Sift the flour through a fine sieve and into the stand mixer.

  5. Add the salt, sugar, and half of the oil. Mix a few seconds. Add the milk and mix until completely amalgamated.

  6. Toss in the pine nuts and the raisins (drained and squeezed).

  7. Pour the mixture into a medium cake pan, greased with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
  8. Pour the remaining oil over the surface, and garnish it with the remaining pine nuts, raisins, and rosemary needles.

  9. Bake for 40 minutes.

  10. Wait for the temperature to decrease a little and unmold the cake.

  11. Serve it warm or room temperature with wine, ice cream, or cream.

Enjoy your Castagnaccio!

Claudia