At the Table of La Fortezza: Chestnut Pancakes (Necci)

Happy holidays to all of my readers! I wanted to share one of my favorite holiday recipes, Necci or chestnut pancakes. These soft, thin pancakes have just a hint of a chocolaty, nutty flavor and scent—lovely as a breakfast or as a dessert, rolled up with ricotta cream, Nutella, or your favorite jam. In this week’s video, my husband Frank & I whip up these pancakes and talk about Hanukkah and the holiday season. I hope you enjoy it, and if you can, add this your brunch menu this year.

Chestnut Pancakes (Necci)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 ½  cups sifted chestnut flour

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• ½ teaspoons baking power

• 4  cups sparkling water

• ½  teaspoon sea salt

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 

Preparation:

• In a large bowl, whisk the flours, salt sugar, baking powder and water together until smooth and very loose. Cover and set aside for at least 1 hour or up to overnight

• Heat a 7-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan, pour a scant 1/4 cup into the pan. Tilt the pan so that the batter runs to the edges, creating a thin, even layer. Immediately loosen the edges with a spatula and cook for 1 minute, or until the top is set and looks dry. Flip the crepe cook for 15 to 30 seconds. Add oil lightly each time before adding the batter

• To serve, spread with Nutella, or Jam, Ricotta cream, and roll. Serve warm

• If you want to make ricotta cream, all you need is 1 cup ricotta, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon sugar. You’ll just whip everything together and spread on the crepe and roll