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Marron Glacé are a refined dessert rich in history, perfect for celebrating autumn and the holiday season.
These delicacies, made with chestnuts candied in a sugar syrup and then glazed, are loved for their soft texture and intense flavor.
Originating in French tradition, Marron Glacé are a precious dessert, which requires patience and care in preparation.
Perfect to enjoy alone or with a good coffee, they are the ideal gift for a special occasion or to enrich the holiday table with a touch of elegance and sweetness.
Wash the chestnuts and make a cross cut on both sides of each fruit. The cut must affect, in addition to the peel, also the skin underneath. Boil the chestnuts for 1 minute then peel them.
Since they need to be hot to peel easily, it is best to blanch a few at a time and peel them as soon as you can hold them in your hand. If the inner skin does not come off easily, dip the chestnut in boiling water for a few seconds. Not the water where you boiled them, because the water is now colored with the tannin from the peels and would also color the fruit. Place all the chestnuts in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to the boil and, when the water boils, lower the heat and let simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.
To check if they are cooked, insert a needle or a small skewer into a chestnut: it should go in and out easily. Drain the chestnuts, removing them very delicately so as not to break them. Place the sugar in a saucepan with 3 dl of water and the vanilla pod. Heat the sugar without stirring and let boil for 5 minutes. Place the chestnuts in the saucepan, let it boil again and turn off after 1 minute. Cover and let it rest for 24 hours. After this time, put the saucepan back on low heat. When it boils again, turn off after 1 minute and wait another 24 hours. Proceed in the same way on the third day: 1 minute of boiling and 24 hours of rest. On the fourth day, remove the chestnuts from the syrup and place them on a rack. Let them dry well for at least 3 hours, in a dry place away from dust. At this point, simply roll the chestnuts in granulated sugar.
NOTE: if you prepare them, you will understand immediately. The greatest difficulty is in getting the cooking times right, not so much in the syrup as on the first day when they are boiled. If they are cooked too much, they fall apart. For this reason, it is essential to find large, excellent-quality chestnuts and not just chestnuts. They must also be very fresh. Some chestnuts do break during the treatment anyway. Continue to treat them, you will use them broken for various desserts and to garnish desserts such as chocolate mousse or ice cream.