Marrons glacés

Today is the official start of Christmas's recipes, for me. 

I'll begin with the marrons glacés. As I said some times ago, marrons glacés are very expensive, here, in France. 
So I suppose they are much more expensive in foreign countries. 

The explanation is simple : it's long to make and you can have some losses. 
I mean, sometimes, chestnut don't all cook the way you want. 
For example, with ten chestnut, only five are, finally, good to eat at the end. 

But it's SO easy to bake ! Please, believe me. 

It will take you 6 or 7 days. Yes, you read well. 
This will be the time for them to be conserved.
During this week, you'll have to take care of them only 8 minutes a day. 
Good deal, don't you think ? 

Here what you'll need : 

• 1 kilo of peeled and entire chestnuts. I took frozen ones, but you can use ones in bottled preserves or canned ones. I never used fresh ones. 
• 2 liters of mineral water
• 2 kg of brown sugar
• 1 vanilla pod

Step 1 : 
If your chestnut are not already cooked (frozen ones, for example, need to be cook), let them cook during the indications wrote on the package.  
For me, it was 8 minutes steamed. 

Step 2 : 

You'll need a pressure cooker, just because it will be more practical, with the little basket, to strain chestnuts. You won't need the pressure cooker's lid. Just a normal one. 

So if you don't have a pressure cooker, no problem. Just try to use its little basket. 

Step 3 : 

In your pan, pour water and sugar. 

Cut your vanilla pod, take the grains off the vanilla pod, with a knife's tip (step 5) and add them and the pod in the sugared water.

Step 4 : 

Make your water boil during 5 entire minutes. 

During this time, put your chestnut cooked in your little basket. 

Step 5 : 
Plunge chestnuts in the sugared water and let it simmered for only 1 minute, on a low fire.
Cut the fire and let them settle for 24 hours ! 

This was the longest part ! 
Now, I'm going to tell you what you'll do the 5 following days. 

The day after : 
Strain the chestnut, taking them away with the help of the little basket. 
Let boil the syrup for 5 minutes and pour the chestnut-basket in it. 
Let simmer for 3 minutes, on a low fire.
Cut the fire and let them settle for 24 hours again. 

Do this operation during 4 other days.  

Chestnut will change their aspect. They won't seem cooked but conserved. 

After the last 24 hours, take them away from the basket and let them on cooking grille. Top them with the syrup, who will be thicker day after day. 
And let them dry for 24 hours again. 

I'll tell you how to make the final icing, but you can already eat them this way. 

I'll post one picture by day, to show you the chestnut evolution. 
I'll do it too for the last step, with topping. 

See you tomorrow ;)

Recapitulative : 

• 1 kilo of peeled and entire chestnuts. 
• 2 liters of mineral water
• 2 kg of brown sugar
• 1 vanilla pod

If your chestnut are not already cooked (frozen ones, for example, need to be cook), let them cook during the indications wrote on the package.  

For me, it was 8 minutes steamed. 

You'll need a pressure cooker, just because it will be more practical, with the little basket, to strain chestnuts. You won't need the pressure cooker's lid. Just a normal one. 

So if you don't have a pressure cooker, no problem. Just try to use its little basket. 

In your pan, pour water and sugar. 

Cut your vanilla pod, take the grains off the vanilla pod, with a knife's tip and add them and the pod in the sugared water.

Make your water boil during 5 entire minutes. 

During this time, put your chestnut cooked in your little basket. 

Plunge chestnuts in the sugared water and let it simmered for only 1 minute, on a low fire.

Cut the fire and let them settle for 24 hours ! 

The 5 following days. 

The day after : 

Strain the chestnut, taking them away with the help of the little basket. 

Let boil the syrup for 5 minutes and pour the chestnut-basket in it. 

Let simmer for 3 minutes, on a low fire.

Cut the fire and let them settle for 24 hours again. 

Do this operation during 4 other days.  

Chestnut will change their aspect. They won't seem cooked but conserved. 

After the last 24 hours, take them away from the basket and let them on cooking grille. Top them with the syrup, who will be thicker day after day. 

And let them dry for 24 hours again. 

You can already eat them this way.