AI-generated image
Gesztenyepüré
Gesztenyepüré: sweet chestnut purée riced into strands under whipped cream
No Budapest cukrászda menu in autumn is complete without a glass of gesztenyepüré: sweet chestnut purée pushed through a potato ricer so it falls in loose brown strands, crowned with a cloud of whipped cream and often a glacé cherry. It is soft, nutty and creamy rather than sugary, and it came to Hungary from Viennese kitchens in the days of the empire. Classic café versions add a splash of rum to the chestnuts; this one leaves it out and uses vanilla and a little cocoa, so it is alcohol-free. A common mistake is pressing the purée into the glass with a spoon, which turns it into a dense paste; let the strands fall loosely straight from the ricer. Chef's tip: chill the purée well before ricing, because cold purée holds its strands and the cream stays on top.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the purée
- 14 oz cooked peeled chestnuts
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
For the topping
- 1 cup double creamwell chilled
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 4 glacé or sour cherries (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 14 oz cooked peeled chestnuts, ¾ cup milk and 2 ½ oz caster sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the chestnuts are very soft and most of the milk is absorbed.
5 minStep 2: Blend with the 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder to a thick, smooth paste that holds its shape on a spoon; add a splash more milk only if the blender stalls.
3 minStep 3: Spread the purée on a plate and chill for at least 10 minutes (or up to 2 days), until cold and firm.
10 minStep 4: Whip the 1 cup double cream with the 1 tbsp icing sugar to soft, billowy peaks.
3 minStep 5: Press the cold purée through a potato ricer straight into 4 glasses, letting the strands fall loosely.
3 minStep 6: Top each glass with a big spoon of cream and one of the 4 glacé or sour cherries if you like, and serve at once.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gesztenyepüré take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Undu walalu
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Marquesitas
Evening in Mérida's Plaza Grande means the smell of marquesitas: thin batter pressed in hot hinged irons until crisp, then rolled like a cigar around grated Edam cheese and a sweet filling such as cajeta, chocolate-hazelnut spread or jam. Edam came to the Yucatán through the port trade with the Netherlands and became part of the local cooking, and the salty-sweet combination is the whole point. At home you can cook them in a thin, wide frying pan. Edam is usually made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian Gouda-style cheese. Chef's tip: roll while the crêpe is still in the pan and hot; within seconds it hardens and will crack.
Mexican