Scala chestnut tart
With the arrival of autumn, chestnuts, the symbol of this colourful season, reappear on our tables. With their irresistible sweetness, they win over young and old alike, transforming every bite into a moment of pure indulgence. The enveloping aroma they release during cooking fills homes with warmth, while their creamy flavour offers unique sensations to the palate. True stars of autumn, they are a temptation that is impossible to resist!
On the Amalfi Coast, there is a town famous for its chestnuts: Scala. Perched on the Lattari Mountains, about 400 metres above sea level, it is renowned for growing a particular variety of chestnut, known as ‘Marroni di Scala’. In reality, although they are called marroni, they are more accurately chestnuts, since unlike marroni they are not very large and are flattened on one side. Thanks to their unique characteristics (white flesh, thin skin and delicate flavour), they are perfect for preparing numerous desserts, including one that is particularly important for Scala: chestnut tart.
During autumn, you can enjoy chestnut tart at bakeries and restaurants along the coast. But for those who want to make it at home, here is the recipe.
Ingredients for chestnut cream
500 grams of chestnuts
1 litre of custard
1 glass of liquid cream
180 grams of sugar
300 grams of dark chocolate
1 small glass of rum
2 sachets of vanilla
100 grams of candied fruit
For the shortcrust pastry
500 grams plain flour
250 grams butter
200 grams icing sugar
4 egg yolks
zest of one lemon
½ sachet baking powder
To brush
1 egg
To butter and flour the baking tin
butter, as needed
plain flour, as needed
Procedure
First, prepare the cream. Wash the chestnuts thoroughly and then boil them in water for at least 15 minutes. Drain them with a slotted spoon, leave them to cool and peel them. Once peeled, pass them through a food mill or potato masher until you obtain a sandy mixture. Then add the purée to the warm custard and add the glass of cream, sugar, chopped dark chocolate, rum, vanilla and candied fruit. Mix well until you obtain a well-blended cream.
To prepare the shortcrust pastry, blend together the flour and cubed butter until you achieve a sandy consistency. Then tip the mixture onto a pastry board and form a well in the centre. Add the icing sugar, egg yolks, baking powder and grated lemon zest, and knead with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Once ready, wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
After half an hour, roll out the dough and place it in a medium-sized baking tin, previously greased and floured. Then pour the chestnut cream into the base and decorate the surface with strips of shortcrust pastry woven together to form the characteristic diamond pattern. Finally, brush the pastry with egg and bake in a preheated static oven at 180°C for about an hour. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before cutting and enjoying.
