Castagnelle – Traditional Apulian Cookies: also known as castagnedde, these are typical sweets from Apulia, particularly from the city of Bari. They are delicious and crunchy cookies with a characteristic diamond shape. Despite the name, they do not contain chestnuts: they are made with flour, cocoa powder, almonds, dark chocolate, sugar, milk, baking soda, and spices.
Like all ancient recipes, there are different versions depending on the family or area; this is one of the many recipes passed down by my grandmother Angela.
But now let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll show you how to prepare Castagnelle – Traditional Apulian Cookies
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Let’s see together what we need to prepare
- 9 oz almonds
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 oz dark chocolate
- 3 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup milk (or water)
- 1 orange zest
- 1 lemon zest
- Half teaspoon baking soda
- to taste ground cinnamon
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Chopper
Steps
Let’s start preparing
Let’s start preparing the castagnelle: pour the flour, cocoa, spices, the grated lemon and orange zest into a bowl, then add the sugar and baking soda and start mixing the ingredients.
Add the almonds, previously toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped using a kitchen mixer.
Add the melted chocolate.
Knead everything, also adding the milk slowly a little at a time.
You should obtain a homogeneous and soft dough
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and with the palms of your hands shape it into two loaves and flatten them slightly with your fingers.Using a sharp knife, cut the loaves diagonally into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 13-15 minutes; they should still be soft when you take them out.
Once baked, let them cool completely.
Place the castagnelle on a serving plate and serve
Enjoy your meal!!
Marge’s Tips
The castagnelle can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks
Follow me on my Facebook page by clicking HERE or on my Instagram account HERE and on Telegram you won’t miss any recipes. Go back to HOME
Follow me on my Facebook page by clicking HERE or on my Instagram account HERE and on Telegram you won’t miss any recipes. Go back to HOME
