![\"castagnaccio1gr\"](\"http:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/castagnaccio1gr.jpg\")
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The Castagnaccio <\/strong>is a very special cake, made with chestnut flour, enriched with pine nuts, raisins, walnuts and rosemary. It is made with few ingredients and needs a very simple process.<\/p>\n It is a purely autumnal dish, typical of Tuscany, where the chestnut is widespread. The Castagnaccio, like most traditional recipes, was born as a dish for poor peasants, since the chestnut was a very popular food in the countryside, very nutritious and cheap.<\/p>\n Ingredients: <\/strong><\/span> Preparation:<\/strong><\/span>![\"castagnaccio2\"](\"http:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/castagnaccio2.jpg\")
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\n\u2022 Chestnut flour, 300 gr.
\n\u2022 Sugar, 4 tablespoons
\n\u2022 Water, 1 cup
\n\u2022 Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons
\n\u2022 Raisins, 50 gr.
\n\u2022 Pine nuts, 50 gr.
\n\u2022 Shelled Walnuts, 50 gr.
\n\u2022 Fresh Rosemary, two sprigs
\n\u2022 A pinch of salt<\/p>\n
\n– First, turn the oven to 200 degrees.
\n– Sieve the flour into a bowl and gradually add water, stirring with a fork to remove all the lumps. The flour used for the chestnut is called “sweet”, which is sold in the month of November, so you need to add a very little sugar according to your personal taste.![\"castagnaccio4\"](\"http:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/castagnaccio4.jpg\")
\n– When the flour is well mixed add the sugar, the salt, the raisins (previously softened in warm water) a small handful of pine nuts, a very coarsely chopped walnuts, and two tablespoons of oil.
\n– Stir the mixture to make it uniform and pour in a low baking dish, greased with plenty of olive oil, or coated with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
\n– Keep in mind that the chestnut is not growing, so if you prefer it thicker the pan should be smaller and higher. With a very thin layer, instead you get a crisper chestnut. In any case, the thickness ranges from an inch to inch and a half.![\"castagnaccio3\"](\"http:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/castagnaccio3.jpg\")
\n– Decorate the surface with the remaining pine nuts, walnuts, rosemary and a little oil, then bake for about 30 minutes (cooking time, however, depends on the thickness of the layer). In any case, a well-cooked chestnut must have the surface cracked and dry.
\n– The chestnut cake is served warm, cut into large squares and perhaps accompanied with ricotta cheese.<\/p>\n