GialloZafferano's Recipe of the Day: Castagnaccio (Tuscan chestnut cake)

Castagnaccio (Tuscan Chestnut Cake), is a traditional Tuscan-style dessert made with chestnut flour, water and olive oil. Raisins add sweetness, while walnuts, pine nuts and rosemary give the cake its distinctive topping. Baked in a low round pan, it develops a cracked surface and a golden finish. Serve it once cooled for a seasonal gathering with family or friends.

• Chestnut flour 4 cups (500 g)
• Water 2 ¾ cups (650 g)
• Pine nuts ½ cup (100 g)
• Rosemary 1 sprig
• Raisins 3 oz (80 g)
• Walnut kernels ½ cup (100 g)
• Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp (40 g)
• Fine salt 1 tsp (5 g)

1. Wash the raisins in fresh water, then soak them in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop the walnuts and strip the needles from the rosemary sprig.
2. Sift the chestnut flour into a large bowl. Add 2 3/4 cups of water a little at a time, stirring with a hand whisk until smooth.
3. Mix in the chopped walnuts and whole pine nuts, setting aside a small amount of each for the topping.
4. Squeeze and dry the raisins after their 10-minute soak. Add them to the mixture a little at a time, reserving a small amount for the topping, then mix well and add the salt.
5. Oil a 12-inch low round cake pan and pour in the mixture, leveling it with a spatula. Evenly scatter the reserved pine nuts, walnuts and raisins over the surface.
6. Add the rosemary needles and a drizzle of oil. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 380°F for approximately 35 minutes, until the surface has a cracked crust and the nuts are golden. Let cool before serving.

Choose a fine, good-quality chestnut flour: it provides the cake's natural sweetness, since no sugar is added. If you can't find pine nuts, you can use sunflower seeds in their place.