Now, I know chestnut aren't the most loved nut out there and you know it too. No one is roasting chestnut on an open fire, we're all just sitting on the couch covered in 10 layers, watching elf for the fifth time, munching away on those delicious Danish butter cookies that come in the blue tin. Chestnuts basically take the back seat all year and even when the holidays roll around, they barely fit in the car. Let's be real... they're sitting in the trunk with the luggage just like you did when you were nine. Nobody wants a crumbly soft nut when they can have a buttery sweet cookie and I don't blame you cause I'm eating cookies right there with you. However!! Chestnuts might not have the most appealing texture, they do have a delicious flavor - slightly sweet and nutty. Plus, unlike most nuts that stay hard after being roasted, chestnuts soften and become starchy. So to really showcase what a chestnut can do, I blitzed it up with some sugar, completely avoiding the unappealing texture and incorporate the flavorful chestnut sugar into the mascarpone tiramisu filling! The lady fingers get soaked in coffee mixed with some milk as to not overpower the whole dessert and each layer gets a beautiful dusting of cocoa powder. Try out my roasted chestnut & chocolate tiramisu and tell me you're not a total convert.

Roasted Chestnut & Chocolate Tiramisu

• 2 pack of lady fingers (about 36-40 cookies)
• 1 cup or 8 ounces of good quality coffee
• 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of milk
• Roasted chestnut cream (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder

1. Grab a square 8x8 inch pan. Set aside. Next, pour your coffee & milk into a bowl big enough and give it a mix.
2. Wash your hands and then dunk a lady finger into the coffee. Wait two seconds before taking them out of the coffee. Place it in your dish and repeat until the bottom of the dish is covered by a single layer of soaked lady fingers.
3. Spoon over the 1 cup of the roasted chestnut cream and spread it out evenly. Dust over a layer of cocoa powder.
4. Add a second layer of soaked lady fingers. Followed by another layer of chestnut creme and cocoa powder. Set in the fridge for 3 -4 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Roasted Chestnut Cream

• 1-1/2 cup or 200 grams of roasted & peeled chestnuts
• ⅓ cup or 67 grams of sugar
• 5 pasteurized egg yolks, about 90-100 grams
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup or 113 grams of mascarpone
• 1½ cup or 180 grams of heavy whipping cream

1. Add the roasted & peeled chestnuts into a food processor along with 1/3 cup of sugar. Blitz the chestnuts until they have completely broken down and have become chestnut sugar (approx. 1 min). Set aside.
2. Pour about 1 cup of water into a small pot and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat to low and place a medium to large heatproof bowl right on top of the pot, making sure the bowl is large enough to not fall into the pot.
3. Add in the egg yolk and half the chestnut sugar to the bowl. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Then add the remaining sugar and whisk until the incorporated & the sugars have dissolved.
4. Add in the mascarpone cheese & vanilla extract. Whisk until combined then take off the heat and set aside.
5. While the chestnut mixture cools, pour the heavy whipping cream into another bowl & whip until they form soft peaks.
6. The chestnut mixture should have cooled down by now so fold the chestnut mixture into the whipped cream. Now, it’s time to make the tiramisu!

*You DONT want the hot water touching the bowl. You only want the steam to warm up the egg & sugar.*

Roasted Chestnut & Chocolate Tiramisu

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Ingredients:

Roasted Chestnut & Chocolate Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 2 pack of lady fingers (about 36-40 cookies)
• 1 cup or 8 ounces of good quality coffee
• 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of milk
• Roasted chestnut cream (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder

Roasted Chestnut Cream

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup or 200 grams of roasted & peeled chestnuts
• ⅓ cup or 67 grams of sugar
• 5 pasteurized egg yolks, about 90-100 grams
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup or 113 grams of mascarpone
• 1½ cup or 180 grams of heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

Roasted Chestnut & Chocolate Tiramisu

Instructions:

1. Grab a square 8x8 inch pan. Set aside. Next, pour your coffee & milk into a bowl big enough and give it a mix.
2. Wash your hands and then dunk a lady finger into the coffee. Wait two seconds before taking them out of the coffee. Place it in your dish and repeat until the bottom of the dish is covered by a single layer of soaked lady fingers.
3. Spoon over the 1 cup of the roasted chestnut cream and spread it out evenly. Dust over a layer of cocoa powder.
4. Add a second layer of soaked lady fingers. Followed by another layer of chestnut creme and cocoa powder. Set in the fridge for 3 -4 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Roasted Chestnut Cream

Instructions:

1. Add the roasted & peeled chestnuts into a food processor along with 1/3 cup of sugar. Blitz the chestnuts until they have completely broken down and have become chestnut sugar (approx. 1 min). Set aside.
2. Pour about 1 cup of water into a small pot and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat to low and place a medium to large heatproof bowl right on top of the pot, making sure the bowl is large enough to not fall into the pot.
3. Add in the egg yolk and half the chestnut sugar to the bowl. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Then add the remaining sugar and whisk until the incorporated & the sugars have dissolved.
4. Add in the mascarpone cheese & vanilla extract. Whisk until combined then take off the heat and set aside.
5. While the chestnut mixture cools, pour the heavy whipping cream into another bowl & whip until they form soft peaks.
6. The chestnut mixture should have cooled down by now so fold the chestnut mixture into the whipped cream. Now, it’s time to make the tiramisu!

*You DONT want the hot water touching the bowl. You only want the steam to warm up the egg & sugar.*