A man in an apron skillfully prepares marrons-glace in a well-equipped kitchen.

Marrons Glacé Festive Chestnut Delight

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire! Gift-wrap these beautifully crafted homemade chestnuts for your peers this holiday season! It’s the season of giving, and you don’t need to buy anything extravagant. Instead, try making something special for Christmas this year. What better than a chestnutty treat, perfect as a stocking filler.

Method

  1. Prepare the Chestnuts:
    With a sharp knife, make a couple of nicks across the pointed end of each chestnut.
  2. Boil the Chestnuts:
    Place all the chestnuts in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Make the Sugar Syrup:
    In another pan, combine 500g granulated sugar with 250ml water. Heat slowly, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla pod and bring to a boil.
  4. Shell the Chestnuts:
    Remove the chestnuts from the heat. Prepare a bowl of warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Peel back the thick leathery skins and the thin papery inner skin of each nut, revealing the golden kernel inside. Drop each peeled chestnut into the acidulated water. Once all the chestnuts are shelled, drain and dry them thoroughly.
  5. Cook the Chestnuts:
    Drop the chestnuts into the hot sugar syrup. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 25-30 minutes, or until tender (cooking time may vary based on chestnut size).
  6. Prepare the Final Glaze:
    In a small pan, combine 450g sugar with 150ml water. Heat slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then boil for 5 minutes.
  7. Glaze the Chestnuts:
    Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts from their cooking syrup and place them on a wire cooling rack. Add the chestnut cooking syrup to the glaze syrup and bring it back to a boil, then remove from heat.
  8. Dunk and Dry:
    Set up a small bowl over simmering water. Pour a little glazing syrup into the bowl to keep it hot. Have another bowl with freshly boiled water ready. Using a skewer, dunk a chestnut first in the hot water, then swizzle it in the hot sugar syrup. Place it on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with all the chestnuts, adding more syrup from the pan as needed.
  9. Drying:
    Leave the chestnuts to dry in a warm airing cupboard or a very low oven (around 50°C) for 10-12 hours. Finally, wrap each chestnut in a twist of greaseproof paper.

Ingredients

For the Marrons:

  • 750g sweet chestnuts (skin on)
  • 500g granulated sugar
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • 1 vanilla pod

For the Glaze:

  • 450g granulated sugar
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