Rum Candied Chestnuts Recipes

MARRONS GLACé (CANDIED CHESTNUTS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the chestnuts in a large pan with just enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil and cook the chestnuts for 10 minutes.
• Drain the chestnuts and discard the cooking liquid.
• Using a clean dish towel (some people prefer to use their fingers), rub the thin skin off the cooked chestnuts. Be careful as they might be hot, but right after they've been boiled is when removing the skin is the easiest.
• In a separate pan, bring the 2 1/2 cups water, granulated sugar, and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Continue cooking the sugar mixture for 5 minutes, but now stirring occasionally.
• Add the prepared chestnuts to the boiling sugar syrup and stir the chestnuts until the whole mixture returns to a boil.
• Continue cooking the chestnuts, stirring frequently, for 10 more minutes.
• Pour the candied chestnuts along with the syrup into a large container and loosely cover it.
• Allow the chestnuts to soak in the syrup for 12 to 18 hours.
• Once the soaking time has passed, place the chestnuts and syrup into a clean pan and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place the mixture in the same container you soaked them in the first time. Cover loosely for 18 to 24 hours.
• Repeat the entire process a total of 3 to 4 times (boil for 2 minutes, soak for up to 18 hours) until the sugar syrup has been totally absorbed by the chestnuts.
• Once there's no more liquid, it's time to bake the chestnuts in a preheated oven at 250 F. Arrange the candied chestnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Place the baking sheet into the oven and turn off the heat. Allow the chestnuts to dry in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they have firmed up and the surfaces of the nuts are dry.
• Store the marrons glacé in an airtight tin, or if making for gifts, put into paper cases and box or wrap in cellophane. Enjoy.

RUM CANDIED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat; add sugar and stir until well blended. Stir in rum bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add chestnuts and stir until coated with the caramel mixture.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place individual chestnuts on paper and cool for about 1 hour, until coating has hardened.
• Serve as a delicious Holiday snack, or a unique addition to your favorite salad!

RUM GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add onions, carrots and celery and saute until tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with parsley, sage, chestnuts, apples, dried cranberries, mushrooms and bread. Pour eggs, stock and remaining 12 tablespoons of melted butter over, season with salt and pepper and toss again well. If the stuffing is too dry add a bit more stock or water. It should not be saturated or soggy, though.
• Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the cavity opening with salt and pepper. With your fingers, carefully separate as much of the turkey's skin from the breast, as you can, trying not to puncture any holes in the skin as you go.
• In a small mixing bowl stir together 8 tablespoons of the softened butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar. Smear about half of the softened butter and sugar mixture over the breast under the skin. Rub the remaining butter and sugar mixture all over the turkey.
• Loosely stuff the turkey with the cooled chestnut stuffing. If there is extra stuffing bake it in a buttered baking dish next to the turkey in the oven.
• Roast the stuffed turkey about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting often during the last hour of cooking with the buttered rum glaze, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg registers 155 degrees F; it will continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so out of the oven. If the turkey skin starts to get too dark, tent it with foil while it roasts.
• While turkey is cooking, in a small saucepan combine remaining 8 tablespoons of the butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, dark rum and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and syrup-like, stirring often.
• Transfer the turkey to a carving board to rest and loosely tent with foil and allow to cool. Brush the outside of the turkey with syrup mixture to get a glazed look.

HUNGARIAN CHESTNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Then grease the parchment paper.
• Separate the eggs.
• In a food processor puree the chestnuts with the butter and the rum, scraping down the sides, until the mixture is smooth. Add the melted bittersweet chocolate and blend the mixture until it is combined well. With the motor running, add the yolks, 1 at a time, and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with the salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, a little at a time, beating, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks.
• Whisk about one fourth of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to lighten it and fold in the remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake the cake in the middle of a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it and the top is cracked. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, remove the side of the pan, and invert the cake onto another rack. Remove the bottom of the pan, invert the torte onto a rack, and let it cool completely. (The cake will fall as it cools.)
• To Make Glaze: Put 6 ounces of the finely chopped chocolate in a small bowl, in a saucepan bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth and stir in 1 tablespoon of the rum. Dip each candied chestnut halfway into the glaze to coat it partially, transfer the chestnuts to a foil-covered tray, and let them set.
• Invert the cake onto a rack set on wax paper, pour the glaze over it, smoothing the glaze with a spatula and letting the excess drip down the side, and let the cake stand for 2 hours, or until the glaze is set. Transfer the cake carefully to a serving plate and garnish it with the coated chestnuts.
• Make the whipped cream just before serving the cake: In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat the 1 cup heavy cream until it holds soft peaks, beat in the 2 tablespoons sugar and the1 tablespoon rum, and beat the mixture until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in the chopped candied chestnuts. Serve the cake with the whipped cream.

CHESTNUT PIE WITH RUM CREAM

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.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Make the torte:
• Line the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan with wax paper, grease the paper, and dust the pan with flour, knocking out the excess. In a food processor purée the chestnuts with the butter and the rum, scraping down the sides, until the mixture is smooth. Add the chocolate and blend the mixture until it is combined well. With the motor running, add the yolks, 1 at a time, and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with the salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, a little at a time, beating, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Whisk about one fourth of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to lighten it and fold in the remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake the torte in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it and the top is cracked. Let the torte cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, remove the side of the pan, and invert the torte onto another rack. Remove the bottom of the pan, reinvert the torte onto a rack, and let it cool completely. (The torte will fall as it cools.)
• Make the glaze and garnish:
• Put the chocolate in a small bowl, in a saucepan bring the cream to a boil, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth and stir in the rum. Dip each candied chestnut halfway into the glaze to coat it partially, transfer the chestnuts to a foil-covered tray, and let them set.
• Invert the torte onto a rack set on wax paper, pour the glaze over it, smoothing the glaze with a spatula and letting the excess drip down the side, and let the torte stand for 2 hours, or until the glaze is set. Transfer the torte carefully to a serving plate and garnish it with the coated chestnuts.
• Make the whipped cream just before serving the torte:
• In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat the cream until it holds soft peaks, beat in the sugar and the rum, and beat the mixture until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in the chopped candied chestnuts.
• Serve the torte with the whipped cream.