Chestnut Pastry Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
• Score the chestnuts in a cross with a knife.
• Place the chestnuts on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the chestnuts with a towel, and quickly peel the warm chestnuts.
• Put the peeled chestnuts in a pan and add water, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Cook and stir the chestnut on high heat until the water has evaporated and chestnuts has softened, about 15 minutes.
• Place the chestnut filling in a food processor, add in water and blend until smooth.
• Push the chestnut filling through an sieve into another bowl.
• Transfer filling to a piping bag with a circle tip and chill.
• Preheat the oven to 200˚F (90˚C).
• In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy using a hand mixer.
• Add sugar to the egg whites and whisk until stiff peak forms.
• Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a circle tip and pipe the meringue in a swirling motion onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake the meringue for 1 hour.
• Get the pie crust, and cut small circles to serve as the bottom for the meringue and bake for 30 minutes
• Place the meringue on top of the pie crust and pipe the whipped cream around it. Pipe the chestnut cream around the whipped cream.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water, and set aside. Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolks, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk in chestnut puree.
• Bring milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Whisking constantly, gradually add half the milk mixture to the yolk mixture. Pour back into pan with remaining milk mixture, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan. Boil for 2 minutes.
• Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Set bowl in ice water, and stir occasionally until cold, about 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Place milk and vanilla bean seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and cornstarch. Add eggs, and whisk mixture until pale and stiff. Continue whisking while slowly adding half of the hot milk mixture. Transfer egg mixture to saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Place over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together chestnut paste and rum, if using. Remove egg mixture from heat, and whisk in chestnut paste mixture. Pour mixture into a wide shallow dish, and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool. Strain through a fine mesh sieve before using.

Steps:

• Score the skin of each chestnut with a sharp paring knife.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chestnuts and cook for 25 minutes. Drain.
• Peel chestnuts while still warm. Transfer to a food processor. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and 4 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream; puree until smooth.
• Combine remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream, white sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Beat until quite thick, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly mix into the egg mixture. Gradually beat remaining 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar into the egg mixture.
• Stir chestnut puree into the egg mixture, making sure to blend in well.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place all crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. (To mix by hand, combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, rubbing the dry ingredients together using your fingers.) Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 11-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch metal pie plate, pressing firmly into bottom and sides; trim edges as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until it turns brown and has a nutty aroma. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and chestnuts and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Carefully add 1 tablespoon rum to deglaze skillet; transfer chestnuts to a baking sheet to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup butter, chestnut puree, chestnut cream, and creme fraiche together until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons rum. Add egg mixture to chestnut mixture and stir until filling is just combined.
• Sprinkle chestnuts over bottom of crust and top with filling mixture. Transfer pie to oven and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the rum cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, rum, and vanilla bean seeds until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Transfer cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Decoratively pipe cream in a clockwise fashion, starting from the outside and working toward the center, to cover. Garnish pie with candied chestnut strips and tuile.