Ingredients

• 12-16 peeled whole chestnuts
• milk, 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon brandy ¼ cup cream
• vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Place chestnuts in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk. Cook over lowest heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, but not breaking. Remove to some kitchen paper and drain. They need to be dry to dip in the toffee.

2. Using a flavourless oil, lightly brush a flat baking sheet. Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan, warm gently until the sugar has dissolved; don’t stir, simply shake the pan. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and cook until golden.

3. Remove from the heat so that it won’t continue cooking and darken. Holding the chestnuts carefully on a teaspoon, drop one at a time into the toffee and remove to the lightly oiled sheet.

4. Do it quickly before the toffee has a chance to firm. When they have all been dipped, return the pan to the heat. To what’s left of the toffee, add orange juice and zest. Bring to the boil and cook until the toffee has softened and melted. Add the cream and brandy and leave to cool.

5. When the chestnuts have firmed, place them in an airtight container where they can be kept for 4 hours.

To serve place a small scoop of ice-cream in the centre of a dish. Pour a little caramel around the base and place the chestnuts on this.

This recipe is by Beverley Sutherland-Smith and is one of my favourites. Whilst it’s easy to overpower the flavour of chestnuts this recipe really showcases their unique flavour.