Michigan Chestnut Pie Recipes

BRANDIED PUMPKIN AND CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss pumpkin with butter and granulated sugar. Arrange on a baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until caramelized and very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool (this can be done up to 5 days ahead).
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Purée pumpkin in a food processor or blender. In a bowl, combine 1 cup purée with 1 cup cream. Save any leftover purée for another use: it freezes well. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, brandy, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Stir in pumpkin mixture.
• In a separate bowl, combine chestnut paste with remaining 1/4 cup cream. Spread chestnut mixture in pie crust. Top with pumpkin filling.
• Transfer pie to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until pie is firm to the touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 100°C (approximately 210°F).
• For the meringue balls: Beat egg whites with powdered sugar and salt until stiff in a bowl set over (not in) a pot of hot water until a temperature of about 50°C (approximately 125°F) is reached. Remove from hot water and slowly beat egg whites until cold. Fill egg whites into a piping bag with a small tip and on a parchment paper lined baking sheet pipe about 50 small balls about 1.5 cm (approximately 3/4 inch). Let dry completely in preheated oven for about 2 hours. The door of the oven can be slightly ajar. Remove from baking sheet and leave to cool.
• Increase oven temperatire to 150°C (approximately 300°F).
• For the pie crust: Pile flour on a work surface, mix with sugar and salt and make a well in the center of the flour. Cut cold butter into small pieces and place around outside of flour. Add 1 egg yolk into well and add approximately 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Combine all ingredients with a knife and chop well into a crumble then knead quickly with hands into a dough. Shape into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface about 1 cm (approximately 3/8 inch) thick and cut out a circle of about 22 cm (approximately 8 1/2 inches) and decorate around edge as desired (see photo). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush pastry with it. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown about 30 minutes in preheated oven. Carefully remove from oven and let cool.
• For the chestnut puree: Cut chestnuts crosswise and cover with hot water for about 40 minutes until soft. Drain, rinse with cold water, peel and skin. While still hot, press through a potato ricer. Combine milk, vanilla sugar, powdered sugar and rum with chestnuts so that a smooth puree is made. Use a little more or less milk as required. Allow to cool and squeeze chestnut puree back through a spaetzle press onto cake base. Decorate with meringue balls and serve.

CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• For the filling, use a sharp knife to cut an "X" into the flat side of each chestnut. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 250°C (approximately 475°F) for about 20 minutes or until shells burst. Remove and peel chestnuts while still hot.
• Add chestnuts to a pot. Pour in milk and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Then puree with an immersion blender and stir in orange liqueur. Cook until lukewarm. Add eggs, egg yolks, cream and powdered sugar. Stir well.
• For the dough, form flour into a mound on a flat work surface. Mix with sugar and salt and make a well in the center. Cut cold butter into small pieces and distribute around well. Add egg to well with about 30 ml (approximately 2 tablespoons) of lukewarm water and chop all ingredients together with a knife. Knead with hands into a smooth dough, shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper and press into a greased pie tin. Pour in filling, smooth and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (approximately 350°F) for 45-50 minutes.
• Remove and cool. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

CHESTNUT PIE WITH RUM CREAM

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place all crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. (To mix by hand, combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, rubbing the dry ingredients together using your fingers.) Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 11-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch metal pie plate, pressing firmly into bottom and sides; trim edges as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until it turns brown and has a nutty aroma. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and chestnuts and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Carefully add 1 tablespoon rum to deglaze skillet; transfer chestnuts to a baking sheet to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup butter, chestnut puree, chestnut cream, and creme fraiche together until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons rum. Add egg mixture to chestnut mixture and stir until filling is just combined.
• Sprinkle chestnuts over bottom of crust and top with filling mixture. Transfer pie to oven and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the rum cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, rum, and vanilla bean seeds until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Transfer cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Decoratively pipe cream in a clockwise fashion, starting from the outside and working toward the center, to cover. Garnish pie with candied chestnut strips and tuile.

MICHIGAN CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Using a strong, sharp paring knife, cut an X into the flat side of each chestnut shell. This will allow the steam to escape, preventing the chestnuts from bursting and making them easier to peel. Place chestnuts in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Chestnuts will be roasted when shells begin to peel back. Remove chestnuts from oven and let stand for five minutes to cool. Peel the shells and skin away from the nuts. In a saucepan, combine chestnuts, sugar and water, bringing the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-35 minutes, until the majority of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain chestnuts, reserving sugar syrup, and transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in syrup slowly until desired consistency is obtained. To make the pie, beat egg yolks well. Add sugar, whipping cream, orange juice, Grand Marnier and chestnut puree. Fold egg whites into chestnut mixture. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve cold with whipped cream.