Chestnut Cookies - Biscottini di Marroni - Chestnut Biscotti

This is an old, old recipe for chestnut cookies, drawn from Il Confetturiere Piemontese, which was published in 1790, and whose author suggested that the chestnuts be cooked in the hot ashes of the fire place.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• About 20 chestnuts
• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/8 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:

Peel the chestnuts and boil them until they're tender, then mash them in a mortar, dampening the mixture with 2 tablespoons of egg white; work the mixture until it is creamy, then work in the sugar as well. Once the chestnut mixture is creamy again, whip the remaining whites to soft peaks and fold them into the batter.

Line your cookie sheets with oven paper and pour out the batter in 1 by 3-inch (3 x 10 cm) strips, leaving a couple of inches between cookies. Bake them in a moderate oven (about 175 °C, or 350 °F) until they are browned. Let them cool, before you remove them from the paper.

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