Homemade purée from fresh chestnuts

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Score the chestnuts

   Wash the chestnuts and use a sharp knife to cut an X through the shell on the rounded side. Discard any that feel soft or have a hole.

2. Boil and peel

   Cover the chestnuts with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and take the chestnuts out of the hot water a few at a time so the rest stay warm. Remove both the outer shell and the thin brown inner skin—the skin comes off while warm but sticks once cool.

3. Simmer in milk

   Place the peeled chestnuts in a pot, pour in the milk, and add the sugar and vanilla sugar. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until completely tender and easily mashed with a fork. Stir occasionally to keep the milk from sticking to the bottom.

4. Blend until smooth

   Use an immersion blender to blend the chestnuts and milk until smooth, then stir in the butter and rum. If the purée is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk. If it is too thin, cook briefly, stirring constantly, to evaporate some of the liquid.

5. Store

   Let the purée cool, store it in a clean container with a lid in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days. Freeze for longer storage. Use in cream fillings, cakes, and pastries.

Tip: Choose heavy, glossy, firm chestnuts. Horse chestnuts found in parks are not edible—use only edible sweet chestnuts sold in stores and at markets for this purée.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Domáce gaštanové pyré z čerstvých gaštanov