Torta de Castagne (Chestnut cake)

Source: The Great Italian Cookbook (1987).  Compiled by the Italian Academy of Cookery.  New York: International Culinary Society.  ISBN: 0-517-63553-4

• 2 cups chestnuts

• 1 cup sugar

• scant 1/2 cup butter

• generous 1/2 cup blanched almonds

• 4 eggs, separated

• grated peel of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• confectioners' sugar

Cook the chestnuts in boiling water for 5 minutes.  Remove the shells and inner skins at once.  While they are still hot, sieve the chestnuts into a bowl.  Chop the almonds. 

Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and beat until light and frothy.  Reserve 1 tbsp of the butter and soften the rest.  Stir in to the eggs and sugar, together with the grated lemon peel, chopped almonds and sieved chestnuts.  Beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon, making sure all the ingredients are well blended.

Whisk the egg whites untill stiff and gradually fold into the mixture.

Use the reserved tbsp of butter to grease a 10-inch cake pan and dust with flour.

Pour in the mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes.  Turn out on to a wire rack.  Leave to cool, then dust liberally with confectioners' sugar before serving..