Chestnut pastries with vino cotto (sabadoni)

Credit: Feast magazine

• serves

  6

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g (3⅓ cups) plain flour, sifted
• 2 eggs
• 25 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml milk
• vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Chestnut filling

• 500 g chestnuts (see Note)
• 200 g unsweetened chestnut purée (see Note)
• 80 g (½ cup) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra, to serve
• 1¼ tbsp vino cotto (see Note), plus extra, to serve
• 1 tbsp Marsala
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Soaking time 15 minutes

Drink match 2006 Pizzini Per Gli Angeli, King Valley, Vic (375 ml, $65)

Instructions

Mound flour on a clean work surface and make a well in centre. Break eggs into well, then add butter, baking powder and milk. Using a fork, draw in flour, working from the centre outwards, then using your hands, work in remaining ingredients. Knead dough for 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Enclose in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make chestnut filling, soak chestnuts in warm water for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, make a small horizontal slit in each chestnut and peel off skin, then place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until very soft. Drain, then cool. Place in a bowl with chestnut purée, icing sugar, vino cotto, Marsala and lemon zest, mashing until smooth.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface until 2 mm thick, then cut into 10 cm squares. Place 1 tbsp filling in centre of each square, then brush edges with beaten egg. Fold squares over to form triangles, enclosing filling, and crimp edges to seal. Place pastries on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Dust pastries with extra icing sugar, drizzle with extra vino cotto and serve with ice-cream.

Note

• Fresh chestnuts are from select greengrocers. Substitute vacuum-packed or frozen chestnuts from delis and specialist food shops.

• Unsweetened chestnut purée is available from select delis and specialist food shops.

• Vino cotto is a sweet and tangy condiment made from cooked grape must. It is from delis, specialist food shops and select greengrocers.

Photography Brett Stevens

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.