Just a little too early for the Castagnaccio recipe? Yes I suppose it’s a late autumn, early winter kind of cake, a reader however requested the recipe!

Castagnaccio is a typical cake made with chestnut flour is common to the Apennine mountainous area of Tuscany, like Lunigiana or Garfagnana.

It can be eaten all year round because it’s good both warm and cold. They say in the winter it warms the heart and fingers (since you don’t need a fork but your hands to eat Castagnaccio) and when it cools down it’s round flavor matched with a sweet liquory wine makes it a perfect ending for your meal.

Ingredients

• 500 g chestnut flour
• ½ glass extra-virgin olive oil
• 50 g chopped pine nuts or walnuts
• 50 g raisins
• rosemary
• grated orange rind (optional)

Preparation

Sieve the flour and knead with warm water or milk until the dough is smooth and even. Add the oil, the pine nuts or walnuts and the raisins previously soaked in warm water and . Mix all the ingredients and pour in a baking tin greased with oil. Top with rosemary needles, pine nuts or walnuts, the orange rind (optional) and a drizzle of oil. Cook in a medium oven (150-160°C) for about an hour.