Chestnut-Rosemary Tart or Pan

Growing up, I used to hate eating chestnuts. It’s very typical in Spain to eat them raw or roasted on the fire; and it’s a traditional scene during the fall and winter to see the vendors with their roasting carts on the streets selling roasted chestnuts and other goodies. I did and still do love the smell of roasted chestnuts… it symbolises the beginning of autumn and the beautiful holiday season to come.

And to-day, I actually love to eat them, especially when they are vapor-cooked and so sweet. (I’m still not keen about the raw ones…) And now, I have discovered chestnut flour! My mother says there used to be a lot of desserts and dishes that were made in Southern Spain with chestnut flour. But I’ve never knowingly tried anything nor made anything with it before. But during the Christmas holidays, I stole a number of recipes from my mother’s collection (Mama… remember the recipe of the wilted kale you were asking for the other day…well, I DO have it ;-)).

The other day, I tried experimenting with chestnut flour and almond flour together to make some breakfast bread; and although the flavour was really good, the texture was not quite right. But while I’m still working on perfecting that recipe (to share with all of you), I was intrigued by this one and can’t rave enough about it!

This tart below is de-li-cious!!! Don’t be tempted to add any sweetener (until you make it at least once), as it has just the perfect sweet combination with the sultanas and the chestnut flour, which is quite sweet on its own. Additionally, for those of you with egg allergies or just wanting to make something without eggs, this is a perfect recipe to build upon! And the additional plus is that it is really, totally sugar or sweetener free!

CHESTNUT-ROSEMARY TART (or PAN, as it’s called in Spain)

Ingredients, for one 19cm or 7in diameter-tart (it comes out to about 3cm in height)

  • 150g chestnut flour
  • 250ml water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup sultana raisins (more if desired, up to 1/2 cup recommended for a sweeter tart)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • freshly ground rosemary (I used about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
ready for the oven

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease with some olive oil a small tart pan (19cm or 7in diameter). Set aside.
  2. In ย a medium bowl, mix the chestnut flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt. Add the water, whilst whisking until smooth. The mixture will be quite liquid.
  3. Add the sultanas and mix well.
  4. Pour into the tart pan and sprinkle with pine nuts and some ground rosemary or rosemary sprigs over top.
  5. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over top.
  6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Make it now, and I dare you to have just one piece! Enjoy!

*Just a side note about chestnuts: they are the highest alkaline producing nuts, are a good source of fiber, rich in Vitamin C, rich in folates (folic acid), they are a rich source of mono un-saturated fatty acids, are an excellent source of iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Plus, they contain a number of other Vitamin Bs. And of course, they are gluten free. I wish I would’ve like them more as a child, but now is not too late to start enjoying all their goodness.

**A note on variations possible: you can use other types of dried fruit, such as apricots or prunes instead of the raisins; also, you can use slivered almonds or coarsely ground almonds or another nut instead of the pine nuts. Other fresh or dried herbs can be used as well, such as thyme or oregano. Experiment depending on your taste buds and mood… and above all, have fun with this recipe!

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11 Comments

  1. 1.29.13

    This tart looks irresistable and I can only imagine the combination of flavors here.
    I will be looking for chestnut flour for sure!

    • 1.29.13
      thesaffrongirl said:

      Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your comment! It is delicious and can also be varied with different herbs or nuts! I hope you give it a try. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  2. 1.29.13
    Emma said:

    I’ve just recently started to make this but I know it by it’s Italian name- “Castagnaccio” and make it with walnuts and fresh rosemary. So so good. My Italian friend gave me a bag of chestnut flour so I’ve been making it a lot. Any ideas for other uses for the flour?

    • 1.30.13
      thesaffrongirl said:

      Hello! Chestnut flour seems to be very versatile, from what I’m learning. I’ve already made an Almond-Chestnut bread, which you can find here: http://thesaffrongirl.com/paleo-almond-chestnut-bread. I’m still experimenting with making pie crust and cupcakes…. I’ll be posting the recipes as soon as they come out well. ๐Ÿ˜‰ By the way, I love the “castagnaccio” or bread, as we call it in Spain! It’s so easy, healthy and delicious!

  3. 2.3.13

    Hi there – Great to discover your blog – I’m also a London Paleo blogger! I love Castagnaccio – such a great pud with no need to add sugar from the fabulous chestnut flour. Look forward to reading more recipe posts in future!

    • 2.4.13
      thesaffrongirl said:

      Hi Ceri, nice to “meet” you too… I’ll check out your blog as well. And thank you for stopping by! I’m happy to meet a fellow Paleo blogger in London. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  4. 2.10.13
    Amy said:

    Hello, that looks delish! i’ve been looking for chestnut flour in London but haven’t had any luck so far. Where did you get yours? Thanks!

    • 2.11.13
      thesaffrongirl said:

      Hi Amy! Thank you. I got mine online on amazon, from whole foods. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  5. 10.23.13
    Petra said:

    Hi,
    I tried to bake this tart, it seems to me sooo delicious! But it didn’t get dry enough, it stayed fluffy. Not that nice… What can I have done wrong?????
    Petra

    • 10.24.13
      thesaffrongirl said:

      Hi Petra,
      This is not a fluffy cake, so I’m unsure what you mean by “fluffy”. The desired texture is more of a moist hardened custard. I’m not sure what you could’ve done wrong… oven temperatures can vary, so that could be the issue. Even if you leave it in the same amount of time, the temperature could be wrong, so you would have to increase it and/or bake longer. I’ve done this tart many times, and actually if anything has gone wrong is over-baking and making it too dry, but never too moist. I hope this helps!