Chestnut Cookies…The recipe of sweet shortcrust pastry chestnuts
As every year, October is the month of chestnuts, I enter the woods at a slow pace, as I always have something to observe, photograph…Relaxing days, a few mushrooms, and many chestnuts…The leaves changing color, the old pans for roasting chestnuts, gnocchi, and other delights await the arrival of this incredible fruit rich in history and tradition.
An ancient drying room sets the backdrop to my little refuge on the edge of the chestnut forest, where once after collecting the chestnuts, they were dried with fire about two meters below, they would then be peeled and selected; the best ended up on the market to buy non-self-produced goods, the rest was used for the daily meal, in soups, and in cakes, to make tasty gnocchi, and the remainder was turned into flour to be used in the following months.
In this recipe, I present you the chestnut cookies, delicious cookies filled with chestnuts, easy to prepare and delightful to consume.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 40
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
Shortcrust and Chestnuts
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup chestnut flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/8 cups butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 baking powder (You can also use ammonia, but they deform less.)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 7 oz chestnuts, boiled
- 2 1/2 oz dark chocolate
- 1 coffee cup milk
- to taste unsweetened cocoa powder (For sprinkling)
Tools
A bowl for mixing, one to melt the chocolate and make the filling, baking sheets, and parchment or silicone mats.
- Bowls
- Mats
Steps
When you want to achieve a good result, the steps matter, but there aren’t many…
In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and eggs until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the flours, baking powder, and quickly knead.
Form a dough ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
In the meantime, melt the chocolate cut into pieces with the milk, and add the powdered sugar and chestnuts puree, mix well to obtain a soft paste.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry and cut out shapes, place a ball of filling and cover.
Seal well and shape definitively. Bake in a static oven, preheated to 350°F, until golden brown.
Your chestnut cookies are ready to enjoy. Just a sprinkle of cocoa and they’re ready. Try it to believe it!
They can be stored for a few days, if you like the idea you can also cover them with dark chocolate. I put some in the freezer ready to bake; in the next few days, they will serve as sweet thoughts, and I already have half the work done. Excellent served with hot chocolate, an aromatic tea for an unusual and delicious snack. If you don’t have boiled chestnuts you can also use flour, you will need to increase the dose of milk, just three tablespoons are enough for this dough.
