Pattona Piacentina (Chestnut Cake), an ancient, autumnal dessert that we in Piacenza simply call Pattona.

A simple and humble cake, made with chestnut flour, raisins, and pine nuts. With a rustic flavor, not too sweet, it has a soft, moist consistency, quite tender at the center. A delicious recipe that has ancient peasant origins from the Tuscan countryside of the 1500s, but also has a long-standing tradition here. It is prepared with very few ingredients, mixing water or milk and chestnut flour, only in the 1800s were raisins and pine nuts added. There are indeed many versions, and the one I propose is the typical Piacenza version.

Perfect as a dessert at the end of a meal, accompanied by cream or ice cream, considering it’s not particularly sweet, but it can also be perfect as a wholesome breakfast or snack.

Here are some other delicious Piacenza recipes:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
Portions: 6/8 people
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter

480.51 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 480.51 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 76.18 (g) of which sugars 32.77 (g)
Proteins 7.93 (g)
Fat 16.35 (g) of which saturated 1.08 (g)of which unsaturated 8.87 (g)
Fibers 12.82 (g)
Sodium 211.13 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 133 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

4 cups chestnut flour
17 oz water
3.5 oz raisins
3.5 oz pine nuts
3 sprigs rosemary (optional)
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (sweet)
1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Tools

Baking pan De Buyer 4705.24 – Tart Pan, Wavy Edge, Fixed Base, 24 cm
Whisk Lagostina Ingenio Smart Kitchen Whisk in Silicone with Non-Scratch Coating, Ergonomic Handle and Secure Grip, Hand Whisk in Plastic and Silicone, Dishwasher Safe, Black and Red

Steps for Pattona Piacentina (Chestnut Cake)

Soak the raisins in the white wine for about 30 minutes. Wash the rosemary, dry it, and finely chop half of the needles with a knife.
In a bowl, add the chestnut flour, salt, and sugar. Add the water gradually, mixing with a whisk. Mix well, we need to achieve a smooth, fluid, and lump-free mixture. At this point, add half of the well-squeezed raisins and half of the pine nuts. Blend well, mixing thoroughly
In an oil-greased pan, pour the mixture, which should be about 0.8 inches thick. Brush the surface of the cake with oil and bake at 356°F in a static oven for about 15 minutes. Then remove it and sprinkle the surface with the remaining raisins, pine nuts, and half of the chopped rosemary. Bake again for another 15 minutes. The surface of the cake should appear light, slightly cracked, not burnt
The perfect result is when the toothpick sinks into the compact, yet soft and slightly moist cake. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan, serve at room temperature, garnished with the remaining rosemary