The chestnut season is now in full swing and there are numerous recipes that can be made with this sweet and delicate ingredient. One of the most delicious is that of chestnut calzoincelli, typical sweets of Salerno and its province, which are usually served as a dessert at the end of a meal or as a typical autumn and Christmas snack. They are usually made after the first chestnuts have fallen, arming oneself with patience as there are numerous preparations to be made.
So let's see how to make chestnut calzoncelli, rediscovering the sweetness of a traditional recipe.
Ingredients:
For the external sheet
- 1 kg of 00 white flour
- 300 g of granulated white sugar
- a flute of sparkling wine at room temperature
- 3 medium sized eggs
- 3 yolks
- 150 g of oil
For the interior
- 500 g of melted chocolate
- 500 g of dried chestnuts
- 500 g of medium-sized pears
- 500 g of bitter cocoa powder
- 350 g of granulated white sugar
- 210 g of shelled hazelnuts
- a small glass of liquor
- 5 cups of coffee
Preparation
The first step to take when making calzoncelli is to boil the chestnuts in boiling water and test them with a fork to see when they soften.
Then proceed by chopping them into very small pieces and set them aside in a bowl. Repeat the same process with the pears and, after drying them, pass them through a sieve to obtain a creamy mixture. The hazelnuts must be chopped, then combined with the two compounds and adding the missing ingredients: cocoa, liqueur, coffee and white sugar. After making the filling, we move on to creating the homemade pastry. The flour must be sifted and then arranged in a fountain on the table, with the eggs and sugar in the centre, to create a homogeneous mixture after also combining the liquid components.
The dough must be rolled out rather thin, a few millimeters high, and then cupped with a small disc.
It is possible to place the filling in the center of each disk, then place a second upper disk and close the edges with the help of a fork.
For a traditional touch, you can create a crenellated edge using a small knife and placing a tooth above and one below.
You will need a fair amount of manual skills, but with a little training you will be able to obtain a result worthy of the best traditional desserts.
The cooking method involves frying in boiling oil, which has already been heated previously, immersing the trousers for a few minutes while waiting for the outside to acquire the right browning.
To conclude the recipe, you can sprinkle icing sugar over the entire surface, or dip each cake in melted honey or dark chocolate melted in a bain-marie.
You can serve your calzoncelli still warm during snack time or use them as an autumn or Christmas dessert to make the holidays even sweeter.
They go well with bitters and vin santo, also to be dipped in the alcoholic drink to add an aromatic note to the filling.
