I have not included Marrons Glacées (which were as popular among the Italian aristocracy as they were among the French) because recipes for them are common. Emiliana Lucchesi, on the other hand, talked to a Benedictine nun about Pieno di Natale, the pastry they made to offer guests at Christmas:

• 2 1/4 pounds chestnuts
• 2 1/4 pounds tasty apples (in Italy we'd use renette, which are mottled, and quite flavorful)
• 2 pounds Tuscan bread, dipped in milk and squeezed dry (you'll need real Tuscan bread that won't become a paste, from an Italian bakery)
• 3/4 pound dried figs
• 1/2 pound pitted prunes
• 1/2 pound walnut meats
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 pound shelled hazelnuts
• 1/4 pound raisins
• 1/2 cup sweet butter
• A generous pinch of anise seeds
• The zest of a lemon and an orange.
• Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt to taste.

Peel the chestnuts, soak them for several hours, and then simmer them in the water they've soaked in until tender. Meanwhile, cook the apples, figs and prunes separately in small amounts of water, simmering them until they begin to fall apart. Mince the nutmeats and put them in a large bowl, then carefully mix in the remaining ingredients. Transfer the paste to a baking tin (it should be about an inch high) and cook it in a slow oven, taking care that it not brown, until the water is evaporated and it reaches the consistency of a firm polenta.

I would serve this with a delicate dessert wine, for example a vinsanto.

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