Chocolate and Chestnut Cake

Recipe from Pinterest

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe

Recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

1 pound fresh chestnuts

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Wash chestnuts in running water. Soak in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes to help soften their shells. This will make them easier to slash. Make a horizontal cut starting at one edge of the flat side, going around the chestnut’s belly, and stopping at the edge of the opposite flat side. Do not cut into the flat side and try to keep the slash shallow.

Spread the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast them until they are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on their freshness. Take them off the baking sheet and wrap them tightly in a cloth towel for about 10 minutes before shelling them. The chestnuts will steam a bit inside the towel, which will make it easier to shell and skin them.

Shell and skin the chestnuts and serve warm.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted, shelled and skinned chestnuts (1/2 pound in shell)

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise

pinch of salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate

5 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

Place chestnuts, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean, and salt in a large saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let chestnuts cool in syrup, then drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-1/2-inch deep fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set on top of a pot of simmering water. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk mixture until cooled to lukewarm. Whisk in egg yolks and flour.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites into batter in two additions.

Pour batter into greased pan. Gently lay chestnuts on top of batter. Bake until the top of the cake has formed a thin crust, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack for 5 minutes, then release from the pan and let it cool completely.

This Italian cake — Torta Morbida di Castagne e Cioccolato — is our new Christmas favorite. The cake is rich but not too rich, sweet but not too sweet. It is delightfully moist and the chestnuts and chocolate go wonderfully well together.

Italian Chestnut Crepes with Nutella Cream

From Boulder Locavore, written by Toni Dash

Prep Time: 30 minutes  Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time   50 minutes Yield: 8-10 crepes; filling for 8 crepes

These delicious gluten-free crepes are made unique with the addition of Chestnut Flour and ground cinnamon, making them a perfect wrap-around Whipped Nutella Cream. The feeling is light, airy, and full of chocolate-hazelnut flavor. While working at high heat one needs to give full attention to the quick-cooking crepes and be ready to spread batter quickly and flip them fast!

Ingredients

For the Crepes:

• 2/3 cup Chestnut Flour

• 1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free flour blend (I used King Arthur GF Blend)

• 1 cup Whole Milk

• 1 cup Water

• 2 Eggs, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon

For the Nutella Cream filling:

• 1 cup Nutella

• 2 cups heavy Whipping Cream (plus additional whipping cream for topping the crepes)

Instructions

For Making the Crepes:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, milk, water, eggs, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Sit for 10 minutes. Note: the batter should be like a thick liquid NOT a batter. If it becomes too thick gradually add some more water or milk, whisking to thin the batter.

• Using a heavy, non-stick 8 or 9-inch skillet (treated with nonstick spray) over high heat, pour 1/3 cup of crepe batter into the hot skillet. Quickly swirl to cover the bottom of the pan or smooth with a high-heat tolerant spatula to cover the bottom of the pan. As the crepe begins to cook (you will note the color and texture changing to look drier), in about 1-2 minutes, flip the crepe over with a spatula to finish cooking on the opposite side (usually less than 1 minute). They will be a light brown and begin to turn golden when done.

• Allow crepes to cool to room temperature. Fill with desired filling (Nutella Cream instructions below). Note: once crepes have cooled, they can be stacked with wax paper between each one, and sealed in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for a few days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for future use.

Nutella Cream filling:

• Using a mixer beat Nutella in a large bowl until it becomes light and airy (about 2 minutes). Pour whipping cream into whipped Nutella and beat on high until the mixture is fully combined and stiff (does not need to make stiff peaks); about 4-5 minutes (time may vary by altitude and humidity).

• Fill each crepe with ½ cup of Nutella cream, making a thick line down the middle of the crepe then rolling it closed. Top with additional plain whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Notes
  
  The basic proportions for the Nutella cream filling are ¼ cup Nutella and ½ whipped cream (makes a volume of 1 cup when complete) per 2 crepes. You can scale the amount of your batch accordingly using these basic measurements.

Chestnut Cake

Chestnut Hill Family Favorite

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease a 9 X 12 baking pan.

Ingredients

Sift together:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup chestnut flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Beat together until creamy:

2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter

Beat 4 egg yolks into the mix, one egg at a time (reserve the remaining egg whites)

Add 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix half of the flour mix into the butter mix and stir.  Divide 1 cup of milk in half and add ½ cup to the butter mix and stir.  Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

Whip the 4 egg whites until stiff.  Gently fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Allow cake to cool.  Spread cake with sweetened chestnut puree (12 oz jar, available at specialty stores/Whole Foods Market).  Whip 16 oz of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/8 cup of sugar.

Top the puree with the whipped cream and refrigerate.

This cake is also excellent served without any toppings or sprinkled with a little confectioner’s sugar.

Chocolate Chestnut Roulade

Found on deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing

• 175g plain chocolate (no more than 50% cocoa solids), broken up

• 6 large eggs, separated

• 175g golden caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

• For the filling

• 200ml double cream

• 4 tbsp sweetened chestnut purée

• For the decoration

• Icing sugar, to dust

• 100g plain chocolate

• 10 fresh holly leaves

• 6 chocolate-coated almonds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a Swiss roll tin (about 22 x 32cm) with baking paper.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl resting over a pan of simmering water – make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat. (Alternatively, melt in a microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes.)

• Put the egg yolks and sugar into a large bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk for about 3-4 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Whisk in the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Stir a little into the chocolate mixture to loosen, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon, until just combined. Pour into the lined tin and smooth out to the edges to fill. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until spongy to the touch.

• Place a sheet of baking paper on the work surface and dust thickly with caster sugar. Cool the roulade for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto the paper. Peel off the baking paper backing from the roulade, then cover with a clean sheet of baking paper and a damp tea towel. Leave for 1-2 hours to cool.

• Meanwhile, make the filling. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Fold in the chestnut purée and whisk again until thick. Cut the edges off the roulade, spread with the chestnut cream, then roll up the sponge tightly, using the paper to help you. Don’t worry if the crust sticks to the paper a little – the icing sugar will cover this.

• Transfer to a flat serving plate. Dust thickly with sieved icing sugar.
• To make the chocolate holly leaves, melt 100g of plain chocolate in a bowl resting over a pan of simmering water – make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat. Using a small paintbrush, paint the chocolate over the dark green, shiny side of 10 small holly leaves. Leave to set, then coat again. Chill until firm. Carefully prise the holly leaves away from the chocolate, discard the leaves and place the chocolate shapes and some chocolate-coated almonds on top of the roulade.

Chestnut Mont Blanc

2/3 c sweetener (optional)

2 t vanilla

1 pt heavy whipping cream

1/8-1/4 cup sweetener (to taste)

Simmer the chestnuts, milk, sweetener, and 1 tsp vanilla on top of a double boiler for 30-40 min until tender. Drain (save milk for the pudding or custard you’ll make later). Force the chestnuts through a potato ricer or coarse sieve, mounding them into a high fluffy pyramid on a large platter. Chill for 2-3 hours. Whip cream with the sweetener and remaining vanilla until soft peaks form and gently frost the pyramid, letting a bit of the base show. Serve at once or refrigerate. Serves 4-6.

Chocolate Chestnut Torte

For the torte

2 cups chestnut puree*

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter

4 Tbsp dark rum

10 oz semi sweet chocolate

6 large eggs, separated

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c sugar

Line bottom of greased 9” springform pan with wax paper, grease paper, and dustpan with flour knocking out excess. In a food processor, blend puree with butter and rum, scraping down sides, softened until mixture is smooth. Add chocolate and blend the mixture until it is well combined. With the motor running, add yolks, 1 at a time, and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with salt until they hold soft peaks, add sugar, a little chopped and melted at a time, beating, and beat 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 batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake torte in middle of a preheated 350F oven for 45-55 minutes or until tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it and top is cracked. Let cool on a rack for 5 min. remove the side of the pan, and invert the torte onto another rack.

Remove the bottom of the pan, and re-invert the torte onto a plate. Cool completely. Torte will fall as it cools.

For the Glaze and Garnish

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate

½ cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp dark rum

Put the chocolate in a small bowl, in a saucepan bring cream to a boil, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until chocolate is melted and glaze is smooth and stir in rum. Pour glaze finely chopped over the torte, smoothing glaze with a spatula and letting excess drip down the side, and let torte stand for 2 hours, or until glaze is set. Serve the torte with whipped cream.

Chestnut Cinnamon Cookies (Gluten-Free)

 From Honestcooking.com

Ingredients

• 500g chestnut, ¾ cup when roasted, peeled, and ground

• 1 cup rice flour

• 150g butter, at room temperature

• 1 egg yolk

• ½ tsp vanilla powder

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 4 tbsp corn starch

• 1 tbsp cinnamon, for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200C.

• Cut a small X on each chestnut, wait for them in cold water for 30 minutes and roast them for 20 minutes.

• Cool on a tray and peel. Put them into a food processor and grind well. Transfer into a large bowl.

• Add in all the other ingredients except cinnamon and mix with your hands until it doesn’t stick to your hand.

• Preheat the oven to 170C.

• Line baking pans with parchment paper.

• Make balls from the batter as big as a teaspoon and place them on the parchment paper leaving ½ inch between each.

• Bake them for 17 minutes and cool them on a rack.

• Sift cinnamon powder on them when cold.  Store these cookies in an airtight container for a week.

Chestnut Biscotti

From Food Recipes HQ

Ingredients

• 80 g of brown sugar (we used coconut sugar)

• 3 eggs

• 100 g of plain flour

• 250 g of chestnut flour

• 100 g of almonds

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2-3 tablespoons of whole milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C.

• Whisk well the eggs into a large bowl with sugar.

• Add the chestnut flour and the plain flour sifted with the baking powder, then stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of whole milk (adjust to the right consistency) and the almonds.

• Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spoon the dough over the tray to form a flat loaf, about 5 cm large and 2 cm thick.

• Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove them from the oven, cut them slantwise into 2 cm thick slices.

• Arrange them a cut side down on the tray and bake them for another 5 minutes, until slightly golden brown.

• Let them cool down on a wire rack before serving.

Chestnut Puree

To prepare chestnut puree for use in other recipes, boil pre-cooked, peeled chestnuts in either water, broth, or milk until tender. Drain and either press through a sieve, process in a food processor, or grind in a blender. Whip in 2 T butter per cup of pulp. Add salt and pepper to taste for vegetable dishes, or sweeten with vanilla, spices, or honey for use in dessert dishes. Puree can be stored in the refrigerator, frozen, or canned for future recipes.