Recipe: Recipes using Chestnut Flour for Spicer, London

Hi Spicer :-) Here are a few recipes that I found for you on the internet. I have not tried any of them.

Baked Goods

Chestnut puree or chestnut flour adds the flavor of chestnuts to baked goods. Substitute chestnut flour or puree for some portion (usually less than 50%) of wheat flour, or as a complete substitute for corn meal or oat flour. Chestnut flour weakens the dough, and therefore, must be used sparingly in yeast breads. However, its tender texture and sweet flavor make wonderful pancakes, muffins, and pastries.

Chestnut and Fruit Fritters
Recipes courtesy David Ruggerio from his Little Italy Cookbook
Yield: 4 as a dessert or snack

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup Vin Santo or other dessert wine
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chestnut flour
1 egg, separated
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar for dusting the fritters

Place the apple slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the Vin Santo and the granulated sugar. Cover and set aside for 1 hour. Mix together both types of flour, the egg yolk, and the white wine. Beat the egg white in a separate bowl until fluffy. Fold the egg white gently into the flour mixture. Drain the apples and mix gently into the batter. Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Drop a 5-inch round of batter in the skillet, cook until golden brown on one side, flip and cook likewise on the other side. This should take about 3 minutes (1 1/2 minutes per side). Remove, drain, dust with the confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Gateau de Crepes aux Pommes
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Yield: 1 layered "cake", serving 6 to 8

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chestnut flour
Scant 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, beaten
7 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
12 apples, such as Golden Delicious
2 lemons, juiced or 1/4 cup juice
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup chestnut honey

In a large bowl combine chestnut flour, wheat flour, milk, eggs and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add more milk as needed to make a thin batter. Let rest, chilled, for 30 minutes.
Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. In a large bowl toss apples with lemon juice. In a very large skillet melt 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and sugar and cook until the apples are soft and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You may have to do this in batches.)

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Heat a small skillet or crepe pan until hot and brush lightly with some of the melted butter. Pour crepe batter into skillet in 1/4 cup amounts and swirl to evenly coat pan bottom. Cook until crepe is golden brown on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip with a spatula and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 30 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter until all crepes are made.

Assemble the dessert by alternating layers of crepes with layers of the caramelized apples until all apples and crepes are used. Warm honey in a small saucepan and drizzle over the top of the crepe cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve warm, drizzled with any remaining honey.

CHESTNUT FLOUR CAKE (Castagnaccio)

115 g sultanas
450 g chestnut flour, sieved
1/2 teaspoon salt
cold water
olive oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

Cover sultanas with cold water and leave to soak for 15 minutes, drain and dry. Mix together the chestnut flour, salt and stir in enough cold water to make a batter which is slightly thicker than pancake batter.

Oil a shallow cake tine and pour in the batter, smooth it with a spoon, then scatter over the caraway seeds, pine nuts, rosemary and sultanas.

Drizzle a little more oil over the top and bake in a moderately hot oven (190 C) for 10-15 minutes or until the surface is crispy. Serve warm or cold with chilled white wine.