Calzoncelli di Castagne
A typical Christmas treat from southern Italy, these sweets are little fried pockets with a chocolate chestnut filling. There are many variations of this recipe, from the type of dough to the type of filling. This is my family's version that we make every holiday season.
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 300 g flour
- 120 g white wine
- 60 g olive oil
- pinch of salt
Filling:
- 500 g boiled & peeled chestnuts
- 250 g dark chocolate
- 70 g cocoa powder
- 200 g sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Icing sugar to dust on top
Instructions
- Clean and score the chestnuts. Place them in a pot with cold water and bring it to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. When just cool enough to handle peel the chestnuts. Blend them in a food processor until completely mashed.
- Melt the dark chocolate. Mix in the chestnuts, sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon. It should look like a paste. Set aside.
- Place the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the oil, wine and salt.
- Mix everything together with a fork. Then knead the dough until smooth.
- Take a slice of the dough and roll it through a pasta maker on the widest setting. Continue until the narrowest setting. Then repeat for the rest of the dough. Keep the dough you are not rolling covered at all times.
- Drop a teaspoon of the chestnut filling on a pastry sheet, leaving about 2 cm between one portion of the filling and the next.
- Place another sheet of dough on top and seal it shut with your hands. Use a pastry cutter to cut out each square. Seal the edges with a fork.
- Fry the calzoncelli using a good frying oil until golden on each size. Let them cool on a tray lined with paper towel.
- Once completely cooled dust with icing sugar.