Chestnut Chocolate Dessert Recipes

THE MOST DELICIOUS CHESTNUT DESSERT (MONT BLANC) RECIPE BY TASTY

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!

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line one and a half muffin trays with 18 muffin cases. (We used deep, gold ones by Foilcraft, from cake-decorating shops.) Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Tip the chestnut purée into a large bowl and mash with a fork. Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric hand whisk until pale and frothy.
• Fold half the egg mixture into the chestnut mixture to lighten it, then fold in the almonds and baking powder. Gently fold in the rest of the egg, then drop the batter into the muffin cases. Bake for 25-30 mins until firm. Cool. You can freeze the cupcakes for up to 6 weeks.
• To make the chocolate topping, gently melt the chocolate, butter and cream together in a small pan. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Beat well to thicken the mixture then swirl generously onto the cupcakes and pile with chocolate curls. They will keep in the fridge for 4 days. Dust half with icing sugar and the other with cocoa before serving.

CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round professional baking pans, and line bottoms with parchment. Butter parchment, and set aside. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; set aside. Heat the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Let chestnuts cool completely. Transfer chestnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, and pulse until very finely ground; set aside.
• Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until foamy on medium-low speed, 5 to 6 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add 1/2 cup sugar. Raise speed to medium-high; beat until stiff peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer egg-white mixture to a bowl.
• Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the cake flour, chestnut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Add the egg yolks and the water, oil, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
• Using a rubber spatula, carefully and gently fold the flour mixture in 4 or 5 additions into the egg-white mixture until well combined. Gently fold in the reserved chestnuts and chocolate. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans, and bake on one shelf, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes come out clean, about 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. Invert pans to remove cakes. Remove the parchment paper.
• Place one layer on a cake round or directly onto a cake stand or serving platter. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread the pastry cream on top to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Place the other layer on top.
• Pour ganache on top; carefully spread to about 1/4 inch from edges. Ganache will overflow slightly and gently brim edges. Arrange marrons glaces on top of cake, spaced evenly. Set cake aside in a cool place to allow the ganache to firm.

HOMEMADE CHESTNUT-CHOCOLATE SPREAD

Steps:

• Mix milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add chestnuts; cook until chestnuts soften and milk has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully pour milk mixture into a blender. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; blend until smooth. Add extra milk, a few tablespoons at a time, if mixture isn't blending well. Avoid adding too much milk as the spread should be thick.
• Add honey and continue to blend until smooth. Transfer to small jars and let cool. Serve immediately or seal jars and store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE-CHESTNUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Bring chestnuts, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until milk is reduced by one-quarter and chestnuts smash fairly easily against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon, 15-17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely chop 4 oz. chocolate. Using a peeler, shave remaining 1 oz. chocolate; set aside until ready to serve.
• Purée chestnut mixture in a blender on high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add chopped chocolate and 1 tsp. brandy and blend on high speed until chocolate is melted, about 30 seconds. Scrape into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (if lumps form, stir vigorously until smooth), 15-20 minutes.
• Whip 2 cups cream with a whisk in another large bowl until it just barely holds soft peaks. Stir one-third of cream into chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining cream just until incorporated. Transfer mousse to a large serving bowl, cover, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
• Whip remaining 1 cup cream and 1/2 tsp. brandy with whisk in a large bowl to medium peaks. Garnish mousse with reserved chocolate shavings and serve with whipped cream alongside.
• Do ahead
• Mousse can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT AND CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and set aside. Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring from time to time, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream and the chestnut puree.
• Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk until yolks have thickened and turned a pale yellow color. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the yolks and whisk until smooth. Stir in the dried cherries.
• Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until the cake just springs back when touched in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Place on a rack to cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with softly whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl set over boiling water until chocolate is nearly completely melted, then remove from heat and whisk mixture until smooth.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks with half the sugar (1/4 cup/50 grams) and the salt until pale and thick. Stir in the warm chocolate and set aside.
• Put egg whites in a clean bowl with cream of tartar and beat until fluffy, then add remaining 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry.
• Stir chestnut flour and chopped chestnuts into the chocolate batter, then fold in 1/4 of the whites to lighten mixture. Fold in remaining whites and scrape batter into an unbuttered 8-inch springform pan, smoothing top if necessary.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out almost clean. Cool on a rack. It may sink and crack a bit on top - this is fine. Run a knife around the edge of cake to free sides and remove form. Transfer to a serving platter. (Cake may be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
• To serve, whip cream with 2 tablespoons sugar to a very soft consistency. Spoon over top of cake and quickly spread with a spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate curls or cocoa powder.