It’s officially winter here in the Tuscan countryside: the golden leaves have fallen and been burned, the grapes have been collected and gone to press, the olives harvested and the chestnut trees brimming. (And my 100 feet of rosemary is lush and green from the rains of fall!)
Castagnaccio (chestnut cake) is a classic Tuscan treat made of chestnut flour (don’t for one second think I milled my own; not there yet), fresh rosemary sprigs, golden raisins soaked in Vin Santo (a sweet dessert wine), pine nuts, olive oil, sea salt, and a touch of sugar. DELICIOUS.
Castagnaccio is usually served as a snack rather than a dessert. The perfect blend of salty-sweet, it tastes fantastic paired with a cup of tea or a glass of red wine, sitting by a fire and roasting chestnuts (yes, really).
I bought Chestnut Flour, available at gourmet shops in the US, last summer and as the expiration neared decided to dive into Castagnaccio. Seeing as it was my first try, I turned to the trusted "River Café Classic Italian Cookbook". The River Café is a well-known Italian eatery in London founded by the dynamic cooking duo Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray.
I always turn to my River Café cookbooks for simple, no fuss, amazing recipes. I adjusted the recipe just a tad by using raw agave nectar in lieu of the sugar and subbing in water for the milk. (I’d actually be interested in trying the recipe with rice milk.) Next time I may use a tiny bit less salt. Enjoy.
1 Fresh rosemary
2 Sifter for my chestnut flour
3 Fresh chesnuts and flour
4 Golden raisins marinating in Vin Santo, a sweet Italian dessert wine.
5 Castagnaccio forming in the skillet
6 Delicious!
Castagnaccio (Chestnut Cake)
Makes 2 large pancakes.
2 cups (500 ml) milk or water
2 cups (500 ml) water
3 1/3 cup (400 g) chestnut flour (I used 600 g)
4 heaping teaspoons caster sugar or 2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon sea salt
100 ml olive oil plus for tins
2/3 cup (100 g) golden raisins soaked in vin santo
1/3 cup (50 g) pine nuts
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Add milk/or water and chestnut flour and mix well to form a thin batter. Add sugar, salt and olive oil and let sit for 30 minutes to expand.
Drain raisins (and enjoy vin santo while you prep the rest of ingredients!). Grease pan and pour in half the batter. Scatter pine nuts, raisins, rosemary leaves, and a pinch salt and bake until the edges are golden and crisp and the center is soft, 30 to 40 minutes. (The surface will crack a little.) Let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Make the second pancake.
Castagnaccio will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
Anna Getty, is the eco-editor of Pregnancy Magazine and a mother of two, green-living educator, Kundalini yoga teacher, and author. She has penned two lifestyle books with Chronicle Books, I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas and Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic. Anna recently moved with her family to Tuscany, Italy, to pursue a simple and organic country life. Please visit her website at AnnaGetty.com.
From: Oriana | 12/10/10 at 5:10 am
Hello Anna,
I just discovered your blog thanks to a recipe we have in common. I also posted the castagnaccio recipe on my blog but in another version, the ancient peasant one that nobody bothers to make anyomore...
If you like take a look!
Great picture, oriana
From: Anna Getty | 12/12/10 at 12:31 am
Oriana, where can I find your blog? Would love to see the ancient peasant recipe.
Have been loving taking photos.
Super fun.