There's nothing more satisfying, during a mid-afternoon slump or when the rain is pouring down outside, than a cup of coffee or tea and a little sweet treat to keep you going and perk you up. There are lots of different types of biscuits perfectly suited to this that come from Italy and any one of them would do the trick but those from Prato, in particular, are especially tasty.
Prato, and the surrounding area, boasts a high concentration of pastry shops and bakeries and is well known for producing seriously delicious biscuits and pastries. These include the very famous and traditional Biscotti di Prato (also known as Cantucci), Brutti Buoni, Zuccherini and Pesche di Prato. However, one of the lesser-known and nicest of Prato's biscuits are a more modern invention called Castagnoli. Made with chestnut flour, they were created by the Ciolini brothers in 2002. Chestnut flour is used in lots of traditional Tuscan recipes but is less popular today. The brothers took it upon themselves to experiment with chestnuts and created the treat by bringing together chestnut flour, Tuscan olive oil, milk, eggs, sugar, almond flour and pine nuts. The dish then became the winner of the national prize for “better biscuits with chestnut flour” in 2007. Find a holiday rental in Prato and track some down in one of those local pastry shops or attempt a batch at home with this rather simple recipe.
Prato, and the surrounding area, boasts a high concentration of pastry shops and bakeries and is well known for producing seriously delicious biscuits and pastries. These include the very famous and traditional Biscotti di Prato (also known as Cantucci), Brutti Buoni, Zuccherini and Pesche di Prato. However, one of the lesser-known and nicest of Prato's biscuits are a more modern invention called Castagnoli. Made with chestnut flour, they were created by the Ciolini brothers in 2002. Chestnut flour is used in lots of traditional Tuscan recipes but is less popular today. The brothers took it upon themselves to experiment with chestnuts and created the treat by bringing together chestnut flour, Tuscan olive oil, milk, eggs, sugar, almond flour and pine nuts. The dish then became the winner of the national prize for “better biscuits with chestnut flour” in 2007. Find a holiday rental in Prato and track some down in one of those local pastry shops or attempt a batch at home with this rather simple recipe.
Ingredients
350g of sugar
350g of eggs
200g of fresh milk
300g of extra virgin olive oil
300g chestnut flour
100g of plain flour
50g of almond flour
Pine nuts
Method
1. Whisk the eggs into the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl whisk the milk with the extra virgin olive oil and combine with the sugar and eggs.
3. Now combine all of this with the three types of flour.
4. Next, pour this into some sort of moulds and then top with the pin nuts for a decorative and tasty touch. Bake at 180°C for about 14 minutes. The texture should be solid but somewhat soft.
Seems easy enough...but these things can always go wrong! If your end product isn't the best, just head to Tuscany and try the authentic product!
350g of sugar
350g of eggs
200g of fresh milk
300g of extra virgin olive oil
300g chestnut flour
100g of plain flour
50g of almond flour
Pine nuts
Method
1. Whisk the eggs into the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl whisk the milk with the extra virgin olive oil and combine with the sugar and eggs.
3. Now combine all of this with the three types of flour.
4. Next, pour this into some sort of moulds and then top with the pin nuts for a decorative and tasty touch. Bake at 180°C for about 14 minutes. The texture should be solid but somewhat soft.
Seems easy enough...but these things can always go wrong! If your end product isn't the best, just head to Tuscany and try the authentic product!
Photo credit: raul2010 / CC BY-SA 2.0
