Chestnut Slices

Ingredients

• 150 g Ground Almonds
• 800 g chestnuts
• 3 tsp grated lemon zest
• 0.5 cinnamon stick
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 rectangular baking sheets (ca. 12.5 x 22 cm)
• 1 Egg white
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Slice chestnuts crosswise, roast in a hot oven at 220°C for about 25 minutes until they burst, then peel thoroughly.

2. 2.

   Cover the chestnuts in a pot with water, add lemon zest and cinnamon stick, bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Drain, remove the cinnamon and let dry. Roughly chop half of the chestnuts, puree the rest.

3. 3.

   Mix the chestnut puree with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and ground almonds well. Stir in the egg yolk and chopped chestnuts.

4. 4.

   Place the baking sheets on a tray, spread the chestnut mixture evenly over them, smoothing with slightly wet spoons if needed. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for about 20-30 minutes.

5. 5.

   Whisk the egg white until stiff. Gradually fold in powdered sugar and lemon juice until a spreadable glaze forms. Coat the cakes with the glaze, mark sections, then bake in a preheated oven at 100°C for about 2 hours to dry, keeping the oven door slightly ajar and reducing temperature to 80°C if necessary.

6. 6.

   Let cool, then cut into pieces.