Marrons glacés

Name: Marrons glacés
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 400 g whole cooked peeled chestnuts (vacuum-packed); 500 g sugar; 500 ml water; 1 vanilla pod, split; 100 g icing sugar; 2 tbsp water

Candied chestnuts

Marrons glacés: candied, glazed chestnuts from the Ardèche

Features:

Vegetarian

Dairy free Make ahead

Cuisine:

French

Marrons glacés are the luxurious Christmas sweet of the Ardèche and Privas, whole chestnuts candied slowly in vanilla syrup and finished with a thin sugar glaze, given as gifts in December and served with coffee after the Christmas meal. Home versions use cooked, peeled chestnuts, which saves the hardest work. The common mistake is stirring, which breaks the chestnuts. Chef's tip: wrap the chestnuts in muslin, or set them in a steamer basket, so you can lift them in and out of the syrup without touching them.

Total time: 110 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 8

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Ingredients

Serves8

14 oz whole cooked peeled chestnuts (vacuum-packed)
1 ⅛ lb sugar
2 cups water
1 vanilla pod, split
3 ½ oz icing sugar
2 tbsp water

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Method

0/5 done

Step 1: Bring the 1 ⅛ lb sugar, 2 cups water and 1 vanilla pod, split to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
10 min
Step 2: Put the 14 oz whole cooked peeled chestnuts (vacuum-packed) in a steamer basket or muslin, lower into the syrup and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Leave in the syrup off the heat overnight.
15 min
Step 3: For the next 4 days, bring the syrup with the chestnuts back to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, then leave overnight; the syrup thickens and the chestnuts turn translucent.
60 min
Step 4: On the last day, lift out the chestnuts and dry on a rack for 1 hour. Mix the 3 ½ oz icing sugar and 2 tbsp water, brush a thin glaze over them and dry in a 250°F oven for 3–4 minutes until shiny.
10 min
Step 5: Cool and wrap each one in foil. Keep cool for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 210 kcal
Protein: 2 g
Carbs: 48 g
Fat: 1 g
Fibre: 3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does marrons glacés take?: About 110 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?: Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of sugar?: Caster sugar, same amount.
What can I use instead of icing sugar?: Caster sugar, same amount.

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