Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Italy as Castagnaccio con crema pasticcera allo champagne

Castagnaccio with Champagne Pastry Cream

Name: Castagnaccio with Champagne Pastry Cream
Ingredients: 3 3/4 cups chestnut flour (500 grams); 2 3/4 cups water (650 ml); 2 tablespoons pine nuts; 1 tablespoon blanched almonds, chopped; 2 tablespoons chocolate chips; 1 teaspoon salt (5 grams); as needed, oil for greasing the pan; 4 egg yolks; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 8 tablespoons sugar; 2 cups Champagne (500 ml)

lacucinadibuba @lacucinadibuba

Lugano

Castagnaccio is a traditional autumn dessert from many Italian regions, including Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Veneto, Corsica, and Sicily. It goes by different names depending on the local variation. Some recipes also include raisins, orange zest, rosemary, and nuts. In my version, I added almonds and chocolate to make it even more delicious. To finish the dish, you can serve it with a glass of young red wine or vin santo.

lacucinadibuba @lacucinadibuba

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Ingredients

Ingredients for the castagnaccio
3 3/4 cupschestnut flour (500 grams)
2 3/4 cupswater (650 ml)
2 tablespoonspine nuts
1 tablespoonblanched almonds, chopped
2 tablespoonschocolate chips
1 teaspoonsalt (5 grams)
as needed, oil for greasing the pan
Ingredients for the pastry cream
4egg yolks
4 tablespoonsall-purpose flour
8 tablespoonssugar
2 cupsChampagne (500 ml)

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Steps

1

To make the castagnaccio, mix together the chestnut flour, water, pine nuts, almonds, and chocolate chips. Add the salt and pour the batter into a baking pan greased with oil. Sprinkle a few pine nuts on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 385°F (195°C) for 35 minutes.
2

To make the pastry cream, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a saucepan, gradually adding the flour and 1 cup (250 ml) of Champagne. Heat the mixture over low heat, slowly adding the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) of Champagne, and keep stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes in a covered container.
3

After chilling, pour the cream into a serving bowl and serve alongside the castagnaccio. Enjoy!