Sweetened Chestnut Puree Recipes

Steps:

• Combine chestnuts, milk, and salt in a saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, and toss in pod. Bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until chestnuts are very soft and all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving chestnuts and cooking liquid separately and discarding vanilla pod. Process chestnuts in a food processor until very smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid (and additional milk if needed), 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is the consistency of a thick spread. Pour through a large-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Steps:

• Chop the chestnuts roughly and put in pot with sugar and water. Bring to boil, covered. Simmer 25-35 minutes, until softened and liquid turned to syrup. Remove from heat.
• Stain the chestnuts, reserving the syrup.
• Pure the chestnuts in a blender, adding syrup as you go, until desired consistency achieved.
• Add the vanilla.

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Carefully cut a small X shape into the side of each chestnut. Boil the chestnuts for 20 minutes.
• While the chestnuts are cooking, melt the sugar in 2 tablespoons of water. The sugar syrup is done when the water boils and the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Drain the chestnuts and allow them to cool until you can comfortable handle them. Peel them by pulling back on the cut triangles of each X on the sides.
• Discard the skins and puree the cooked chestnuts.
• Add the chestnut puree to the sugar syrup and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
• This sweetened chestnut puree recipe makes approximately 1 3/4 to 2 cups of chestnut spread, depending on the size of the chestnuts.
• Mixture is very thick, so add water by the tablespoon and blend until desired consistency is achieved.