The chestnut cake: a classical Tuscan sweet

The chestnut cake is a traditional Tuscan dessert prepared especially in autumn and winter as a base of chestnut flour. If you consider the deployment of the chestnut in Tuscany you can well understand why the castagnaccio - chestnut cake can lay claim to a centuries-old history, as evidenced by the quote made in 1553 in the Commentary of the most monstrous things and notables of Italy written by Orlando Ortensio who gives the authorship of this excellent Tuscan sweet to Pilade from Lucca.

The ingredients are very simple so that in the past chestnut cake was on the tables of the peasants, and today this sweet can be found in the Tuscan cities' bakeries where it is called Baldino, Pattona, or more commonly castagnaccio - chestnut cake preparation is always the same.

We first need to obtain a fairly liquid batter lumps and without joining the chestnut flour with milk. Add to this compound a pinch of salt, orange, pine nuts, raisins and nuts kernels in abundance, then the dough must be prepared in a baking dish (taking into account that this cake is traditionally low) oiled and sprinkled with a few sprigs rosemary to give the final touch to this very sweet scented.

Bake at 180 ° until the cake appears not sufficiently substantial, if or until toothpick back clean then you can remove the pan. To enjoy the best you have a little patience and let it rest.