This Chestnut Puree recipe is made by slowly simmering cooked chestnuts in lightly sweetened milk, aromatized with vanilla. Blending this mixture creates a delicious chestnut spread.
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat whisk together the milk with the sugar.
Dissolve the sugar, then add the cooked chestnuts and vanilla bean (scraped seeds and pod) and bring to a low simmer.
Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until there are ½-⅔ cups of liquid left. Stir occasionally, especially towards the end of the cooking time to prevent scorching.
Remove the vanilla pod and discard.
Transfer the chestnuts, without the liquid, to a food processor and puree until smooth. If necessary, stop and scrape down the sides. Add some of the liquid until the desired consistency is achieved.
Once the mixture has cooled down, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
Substitutions:
For a dairy-free option, replace the milk with water.
If more convenient, replace the vanilla bean with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Variations: To make a chocolate chestnut puree, simply add 30-40 grams (1-1.5 ounces) of roughly chopped chocolate and blenderize with the warm chestnuts. The residual heat of the cooked chestnuts will melt the chocolate, How many chestnuts in one pound? There are approximately 36 fresh chestnuts in one pound. Once cooked, this will yield 2½ cups of peeled chestnuts.How much is 1 serving? One serving is equivalent to 1 tablespoon.Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.