Castagnaccio ligure
From tradition, a simple sweet with a typically autumnal, rustic and authentic flavour: a true speciality of the local bakery. Castagnaccio genovese dates back to ancient times, when chestnut flour was one of the main foods in the local diet, as chestnuts grew abundantly on the Ligurian hillsides. In those troubled times, castagnaccio was a poor but nutritious dessert, prepared for special occasions such as All Saints' Day and Christmas.
Today, this sweet made with chestnut flour, pine nuts and raisin, with its unmistakable aroma, is still much loved and can be found on restaurant menus or in pastry shops or bakeries. An old legend attributes magical powers to castagnaccio: a young man who eats a slice of this cake offered to him by a girl falls madly in love with her and gets married.
Procedure
Mix the flour in a bowl and add the necessary water to make a batter. Sprinkle the raisins, softened in lukewarm water, pine nuts and fennel seeds over the mixture, drizzle with oil and bake at 190 degrees until cracks form on the surface. Serve either hot or cold.
