Chestnuts In Soy Caramel Recipes

CHESTNUTS IN SOY CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place brown sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, swirling occasionally, until darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Carefully add sake and soy sauce. Cook until thickened and syrupy, about 30 minutes.
• Slit the skin of each chestnut with a large "X" to allow steam to escape as they cook. Spread 5 nuts evenly on a small baking sheet. Transfer to over and roast 15 minutes. Peel chestnuts immediately after roasting; cut in half and set aside. Repeat process with remaining chestnuts.
• Line a nabe (a clay or cast iron Japanese pot) or a cast-iron skillet with an even layer of small, clean stones. Heat stones in oven until very hot, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a medium skillet, combine chestnuts and 6 tablespoons soy mixture. Cook until heated through. Remaining soy caramel may be refrigerated in an airtight container for another use, up to 2 weeks. Remove nabe from oven and spoon glazed chestnuts over heated stones. Serve immediately.

CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake chestnuts on a baking sheet in middle of oven until slightly dried and a shade darker, about 30 minutes. Cool chestnuts completely on a rack.
• Cook sugar in a dry 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, swirling and shaking skillet (to help sugar melt evenly), until caramel is deep golden. Remove from heat, then prop skillet up against a ramekin or metal cookie cutter, tilting it just enough for caramel to pool. Add 1 chestnut to caramel and evenly coat by turning with 2 forks, then transfer with forks to a sheet of foil to cool. Coat remaining chestnuts in same manner. (If caramel starts to harden, melt over moderately low heat, stirring.) Once completely cooled, peel chestnuts from foil.

FIRE ROASTED CHESTNUT CARAMEL COOKIES

Steps:

• For the fire roasted chestnuts: (Broiler Method) Preheat the broiler on your stove. Slice the chestnuts about 1/4 inch thick and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Transfer the chestnuts to a plate and allow to cool fully to room temperature. Rough chop the chestnuts and set aside. (Outdoor Method) Build a safe outdoor fire using lump charcoal. Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher close at hand. Wrap the chestnuts in heavy-duty foil so that they can move freely inside the foil pouch. Using a chopstick tip, poke three holes in both sides of the foil packet. Place the foil packet in the fire for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Using tongs, remove the pouch from the fire and allow to cool to room temperature, approximately 30 minutes. Rough chop the chestnuts and set aside.
• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to a sieve with a large dry bowl under it. Sift the ingredients together into the bowl, and then add the chestnuts and set aside. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow and well combined. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined, approximately 30 seconds.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients from the bowl into the stand mixer on the lowest possible speed. Once the mixture starts to come together, gradually increase the speed to medium until it forms a dough-like ball. Form 20 even-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 15 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack with a sheet of parchment paper under the entire rack. Allow the cookies to cool while you make the salty caramel crack.
• For the salty caramel crack: Add the sugar to a medium dry skillet and set over medium heat; the sugar will start to melt and turn a pale yellow color. Shake the pan and let it continue to melt. The sugar will start to turn golden brown and then a deep rust color--make sure to shake the pan often to mix. Once the sugar becomes a solid amber red, remove from the heat and add the cream and then the butter. Mix quickly with a soup spoon; it will start bubbling. Be careful not to touch the sugar with your hands as it is scorching hot.
• While the sugar is still soft and can be drizzled, spoon it generously over the cookies. The sugar will start setting to a hard crack as it cools fully. Sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top of each glazed cookie. Let the cookies fully cool before serving.

CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Into a large bowl sift together confectioners' sugar and salt. In a shallow baking pan arrange chestnuts in one layer and bake in upper third of oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until hot and outsides are dry. Add hot chestnuts to sugar mixture, tossing gently to coat, and put a rack over baking pan. In a 3-quart saucepan heat 1 1/2 inches oil over moderate heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 350° F. Working in batches of 8, fry chestnuts 1 to 2 minutes, or until brown and crisp. With a slotted spoon transfer chestnuts as fried to rack. Return oil to 350° F. between batches and carefully skim caramelized sugar from surface of oil as necessary. Chestnuts are best served immediately but may be made 1 hour ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

BAKED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Place the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, and garlic powder in a resealable plastic bag, and add the chestnuts. Squeeze the bag several times to mix the ingredients, and squeeze air out of the bag. Seal the bag, and marinate the chestnuts overnight.
• The next day, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove chestnuts from the marinade, and shake off excess marinade. Wrap each chestnut in half a bacon slice, and secure with a toothpick. Place brown sugar into a shallow bowl, and roll each wrapped chestnut in brown sugar. Place the appetizers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake chestnuts in the preheated oven until the bacon is crisp and the brown sugar is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.