Sweetened Chestnut Puree is one of those wickedly delicious things that you shouldn’t really be eating by the spoonful from the jar but its sheer deliciousness beckons you to, much like peanut butter, nutella and morello cherry jam. As chestnuts are in season, I saw them for $3 a kilo but since I didn’t actually know what to do with them, I only bought 1/4 a kilo. I set about making one of my favourite things, the sweetened chestnut puree as I had in mind to make Nigella’s Chocolate Chestnut refrigerator cake in mini dariole form sometime in the near future.
A word of warning, as I learnt the hard way, peeling chestnuts will ruin your nails and is tedious work. The first recipe I found told me to cut the “round” part of the chestnut before baking but I mistook this for the curved area, what they actually mean is the round base of the chestnut. I only wondered if they meant this when I was almost done making an incision through most of them so I tried cutting the base and the ones I did this to were infinitely easier to peel with the troublesome skin peeling away easily. Also you will want to cut an “X” to ensure that it peels without taking most of your nail polish along with it. Another alternative way with chestnuts is to cut them in half with a large knife and cook them in boiling water for 8 minutes and then dunk them in cold water straight afterwards to remove the hard-to-remove membrane. I found this slightly easier to remove them although the taste was slightly different, it was more muted.
If you can’t be bothered with the palava of making your own sweetened chestnut puree, and believe me, half way through I realised how truly demented it was when you can buy it tinned without ruining your nails, even simply roasting them is rewardingly good. They’re naturally sweet as they are so snacking on these gorgeous little morsels with a hot cocoa is a lovely wintertime experience.
Sweetened Chestnut Puree
Makes 1 cup/250ml
- 200gm fresh chestnuts, in shell
- Water, as needed
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 a vanilla bean
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons of Cognac or Brandy (optional)
1. Shell chestnuts by making an “X” incision only in the bottom round portion of each nut.
2. Place the chestnuts on a baking tray in a small amount of water and bake at 240c for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. **Stop here if you’re just eating roasted chestnuts and peel these in front of watching some sinfully so-bad-it’s-good television. **
3. Slip intact nuts from shells
4. Remove the skins and discard
5. Place the chestnuts, 2 cups of the milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan and heat to simmering.
6. Simmer until all liquid has evaporated and chestnuts are tender.
7. Add last 1/2 cup of milk and sugar and heat to dissolve sugar but do not evaporate.
8. Blend milky chestnut mixture with brandy
9. Rub the chestnuts through a sieve to puree.
10. Place in sterilised jar
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23 Comments | Add your own
YUM!!! By the way, I love the font on the chestnut puree jar. What font is it?
Oh god, that looks like three different kinds of delicious. Beautiful photos, by the way! I love your jar labels. They look so homely.
There are little bakeries in Chinatown that sell chestnut puree tarts but I prefer the chestnut cake from Breadtop in World Square. Have you tried it?
Again, thank you for your entertaining (and frequently updated) blog. I’ve begun to drop comments like “Oh, this blogger really enjoyed the food at that restaurant– we should try it sometime!”
Ahh, the joys of Sydney’s food.
At first I thought you were completely mad for tryin this–peeling chestnuts is not my idea of fun! But then I remembered my own experiments in the kitchen with milk jam and other mad things!
The chestnut puree does look amazing, though, and I can’t wait to see how the cake turns out.
YUM! I looove roasted chestnuts so I bet this would be super yummy too
Hi FujiMama-Thanks! That’s a “King and Queen” font on the jar
Hi M-Thanks! I wanted them to look that way
I haven’t tried Breadtop’s chestnut cake but thanks for the rec! I have tried others. I love anything with that chestnut puree, especially Mont Blanc crepes! Hehe cool! Sydney food is so fantastic 
Hi Angela-I know, I felt completely demented peeling them and wrecking my nails. It was not my idea of fun peeling them that’s for sure. Milk jam? That sounds fantastic!
Hi Kathy-It’s so good to eat by the spoonful. That’s my crime, eating things by the spoonful from the fridge
Love this idea, Lorraine – chestnut puree is really expensive here!
Haha, thank you for keeping it real and saying it was a “demented” task.. hehe!
I’ve peeled them before using that ‘X’ method and in boiling water like you described. I only bought them because the Italian person I was with at the time had fond memories of eating tonnes of chestnuts in Italy.
I’ve read before here on your site how you sing chestnut puree’s praises. So when I went to an Asian grocers I kept my eye out for it..just to become familiar with where to find it. I do want to use it in a recipe one day.. you have me convinced that it’s very good!
Good on you for trying this at home yourself
Hi Patricia-Thanks, yes it is indeed not a cheap item here too!
Hi Maria-Yes I felt the full force of the stupidity when my back hurt from leaning over them and my fingers hurt from peeling them and my hands were covered with chestnut goo.
You know it’s funny, I haven’t been able to find chestnut puree at a Chinese grocery store. It’s weird since they use it in sweets. The only places I’ve found it is at delis for about $7 a tin!
Thankyou!
At last! Chestnut puree’!! I’ve been looking for store-bought chestnut purees in my country but to no avail. You’re my saviour! Now I can have my Chestnut torte. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Michelle-Oh great! You’re more than welcome. Just be careful of your nails and corral someone into helping you
I have never tried chestnut puree, but it sounds delicious! I think I will wait til I can find some pre-made though – peeling chestnuts sounds like an awfully difficult task!
Hi melissah-It’s really delicious, I have to keep a distance between it and myself
I’d definitely recommend buying it if you value your nails (I learnt the hard way 
).
Hi there
Could you tell me where i could find creme de marron or ready made glace marrons on the lower north shore?
Thankyou!
Z x
Hi Zoe-I’ve found it at a few delis
There is the Avenue Road Deli that sells it but if you ask at any of the big European delis they should have the creme de marron. Ready made marron glaces are a bit harder to get although Simon Johnson should have some 
Hi Lorraine – So glad I found your blog about making chestnut puree! I am planning to make Dark Chocolate Caramel Cake with Chestnut, a recipe by Dorie Greenspan. I have called all the supermarket/ specialty stores locally, and none carry jarred/ canned sweetened chestnut puree! Then I’m not too keen on ordering it online now that I think I can make it at home!
Since you’re experienced with making this puree, I think you should make the cake!!! Oh, one question, one local Asian store carries roasted chestnuts, can I buy these and boil them to make the sweetened puree? Or do I have to buy the raw chestnut and make it?
Thanks again for your time and love your site!!!
How long does it keep? Can you jar it like jam and keep it accordingly?
Im somewhat tempted to make this for my bûche de noel…but it seems like such work! Gosh, it would taste DELICIOUS though…and not to mention a good chrismtas time present. How long does it keep?
I somehow managed to remove the skins without boiling them and without ruining my nail polish. Might be due to the fact that I stay in a hot and wet climate so the chestnuts gradually adsorbed moisture and made it easier to peel. haha
If you’ve ever imagined tasting Crème Brule for the very first time again, this recipe for roasted chestnuts is it. I tried the recipe expecting a rather muted result mistakenly thinking the milk would subdue the nut flavor, but instead in seemed to enhance the roasted chestnut flavor. This is truly the most amazing thing I’ve tasted in years and my jaded taste buds perked up and said; “Wow it tastes better than chocolate.”
Thank you notquitenigella for this amazing recipe.
From Cape Town in Autumn.
Strange how your site pops up in search when I am looking for the oddest of things
Thanks for this – I haven’t done anything with chestnuts in a long time (since I was a kid) and just needed a little refresher course.
3 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] my mother was concocting the most wonderful dessert in the world. Even its name held the magic: Mont Blanc. It would be a special night with one of her amazing [...]
[...] and delicious and I ended up tossing them in a spiced butter dressing. I didn’t want to make chestnut puree or marron glaces with them (something I decided last year I would not do more than once in my life [...]
[...] some things to do with Chestnuts and came across this process post with a recipe and technique for Chestnut Puree over at Not Quite Nigella. Lorraine is great so check it [...]
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