Chestnut Biscuit
A brown biscuit that brings Penedono chestnuts into the pastry case.
- Origin
- Penedono · Beira Alta
- Region
- Penedono
- Season
- Year-round · especially autumn
Biscoito de Castanha is a brown Penedono speciality made with chestnuts, wheat flour, sugar, eggs, olive oil and brandy. Chestnut is not merely a flavouring: it gives body, earthy colour and identity to a biscuit rooted in the municipality's extensive groves.
It is sold year-round and offers a contemporary expression of an ingredient that has long been central to local food.
- chestnuts
- wheat flour
- sugar
- eggs
- olive oil
- brandy
Moderately sweet, toasted and earthy, with chestnut's soft density and notes of olive oil and brandy.
The recipe is closely associated with its maker and with Penedono; size and finish may vary between batches.
Look for it in Penedono through direct sale and at events devoted to chestnuts and local confectionery.
Coffee, black tea or chestnut liqueur.
Maria de Jesus's traditional recipe gained prominence in 2014 when it won Best Traditional Sweet at the PENEDOCE competition during Mercado Magriço. Penedono lies within the Castanha dos Soutos da Lapa PDO area, and the biscuit became another way to celebrate that crop.
Sources: tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt
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