Jan 8, 2014

Chestnut-chocolate cream


I have been thinking about chestnuts ever since I had them in Rome...

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano and Julia Child
time: 30 min preparation + 40 min cooking + 1 hr cooling
makes about 2 cups

 ingredients 
350 g (3/4 lb) chestnuts
75 g (5 Tablespoons) butter, diced
75 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, broken in pieces
70 g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon rum

 instructions 
Prepare chestnuts: Make 1/8 inch (1/2 cm) wide incisions in the shell of the nuts (one cut per nut). Place chestnuts in a pot with water. Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove 3 nuts at the time. Peel off both, the shell and the skin. Take three more nuts out...and so on. (Set the stubborn ones on the side and cook them later the same way). Cook peeled nuts on low heat for about 40 minutes till tender. Strain and pass them (while hot) through a potato press and into a medium bowl. Combine the puree with sugar, vanilla and rum.

Meanwhile...melt chocolate on top of hot water. Add butter, stir to melt. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chestnut mix. With a hand-held immersion blender, blend the cream till smooth. Transfer it into cups and set it in the fridge for 1 hour.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES 
  • well balanced, not overly sweet, with a subtle taste of chocolate and chestnuts;
  • it is rich but delicate in taste and texture; somewhere between chestnut ice cream and Nutella;
  • I have never used chestnuts in my kitchen, the edible variety doesn't even grow in Poland but I really have missed them...just like I've missed Rome, where they are sold on the streets, roasted;
  • how to peel the nuts for my recipe was the biggest question/challenge; I finally checked with Julia and followed her instructions; still...it was not easy; 
  • the shell is the brown, hard part; the skin is the soft, thin part;
  • to get the shell off, I used my fingers and/or a small knife; I peeled it like I would peel an orange; be careful not to cut your finger;
  • the thin skin sometimes came off together with the shell...and sometimes it didn't, so I slowly scraped the remains with a knife;
  • the rest was easy; cooling/hardening process was fast;
  • even easier and faster was emptying the little dishes filled with my creamy chestnut delight.

23 comments:

  1. You know, I've never had a fresh chestnut. I feel like I'm missing out! This sounds delicious with the nut and chocolate combination!

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  2. It been a while I had chestnuts or cooked with them, they are amazing. And with some chocolate what could be better! If you roast them first they will be much easier to peel.

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    1. Yeah...next time maybe for 15 min in 180C/355F. Thanks :) ela

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  3. This looks so delicious!! I love love LOVE chocolate and this looks like a super way to enjoy it!!! yum!

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  4. Huh, I tried making my-own chestnut puree once...never again; something went wrong - couldn't peel inner skin off. ...But I love desserts with chestnuts. Yum!

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    1. I'll making more puree (not cream) today...we'll see how that goes.

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  5. What a fabulously unpretentious dessert! OXOX

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  6. So creamy and chocolatey! Absolutely irresistible.

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  7. Oh Ela, how absolutely exquisite! Love this xo

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  8. Oh, why, oh, why did I toss my leftover holiday chestnuts??? This recipe will be saved for next Christmas. How beautiful and decadent!

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  9. I love desserts that aren't too sweet! I'll have to try this sometime!

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  10. aah ! how you know I adore chestnuts? lol
    This look amazing I think I have to make sooon Ela :))))

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  11. I will try with frozen chestnut puree! (here is summer but always I try to have chestnut puree)x

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    1. What??? no peeling?! You gonna miss all the fun :)))

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    2. haha! yes in he winer I make all LOL but in this time I use frozen puree:))

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  12. Yum; simple and delicious but oh so divine! Love this Ela!

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  13. I am a huge dark chocolate fan! I have the hardest time finding chestnuts around here. They did actually have some at the store last month and I was so excited!

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  14. Oh my ! I love your version of chocolate cream!

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  15. Oh my gosh - I wish I could have all of this! : ) I simply love chestnuts. And with chocolate, it is heavenly. Yum!

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  16. This looks wonderful Ela! I love the combination of chestnuts and chocolate and I can imagine how incredible this cream tastes:) Amazing!

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  17. What a decadent dessert!Love chestnuts!
    have a lovely day,dear Ela!

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  18. hhhmmmm, yummy, yummy, yummy..let's deep in to:D

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  19. Gran postre me gustan mucho las castañas yo las pelo una por una es màs divertido,saludos hugs,hugs.

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