Chestnuts are typically associated with Hallowe’en, but did you know that the Catalans have their own celebration called La Castanyada where chestnuts are even more integral? This recipe combines chestnuts with chocolate – who doesn’t like chocolate?! – to create a sumptuous seasonal dessert!

This one really couldn’t be much easier. The only real part of it that requires any work at all is preparing the chestnuts. If you slit them with a knife before steaming or boiling, it’s a lot easier to peel them afterwards – once they’ve cooled down, of course!

If you don’t mind spending a few extra euro, you could just buy some already roasted chestnuts from one of the street vendors that you typically see selling castanyas and moniatos (sweet potatoes) on the streets of most Catalan towns for the few weeks following the feast of Sant Narcis (29 October), which marks the beginning of La Castanyada. It might be cheating a little, but as well as saving you time and effort, it’s also supporting a local tradition, as well as the local economy!

By the way, if you’re thinking about all that chocolate and cream and are worried about calories, you can console yourself with the fact that chestnuts are low in fat and protein and high in vitamin C, which is very unusual for true nuts and actually more typical of a fruit. Although they lose some of that vitamin C when boiled or roasted, they still provide a healthy dose, and they are also a good source of antioxidants, even after cooking. So, there, guilt taken care of!

Ingredients

• 200g store-bought pastry

• 500g cooked chestnuts (steamed or boiled), peeled

• 100 grams of cocoa powder

• One egg, beaten

• 100 grams of caster sugar (regular sugar will also do)

• Milk, preferably whole, and/or cream

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180º Celsius.

• Roll out the pastry thinly and line a flan tin, or any baking pan.

• Blend the chestnuts until as smooth as possible in a good-sized blending bowl.

• Add some of the milk first to moisten, and then mix in the sugar and cocoa powder.

• Keep adding milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until you have a thick cream. (You can also use heavy cream, or a milk and heavy cream mixture)

• Add the beaten egg to the bowl, mix in well, and pour the whole mix into the pastry case.

• Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.

• Serve hot or cold.

And NjOY! But don’t forget to share!

Bon profit!

Check out our other Mediterranean recipes for dishes to try at home.