How to Make Roasted Chestnut Pie: Chestnut Pie Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 28, 2023 • 4 min read
A fresh haul of chestnuts is an autumnal embarrassment of riches. Roasted until the inner nut turns soft and sweet, chestnuts pair beautifully with everything from fresh fruit like apples and pears, gourds like pumpkin and butternut squash, and chocolate and caramel.
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What Is Chestnut Pie?
Chestnut pie refers to any pie that features chestnuts as the main ingredient. Chestnut pie has been around since the fifteenth century, when it garnered a mention in the first printed cookbook, De honesta voluptate et valetudine (1465), penned by Italian writer Bartolomeo Platina. While Platina’s chestnut pie called for chestnut purée fortified with milk and set into a pie crust made with spelt flour, modern chestnut pies take their cues from holiday classics like pumpkin and pecan pie. You can make a sweet chestnut pie featuring a chestnut purée, sugar, and vanilla extract set inside a buttery pie crust. You can also make a savory preparation with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, mixed herbs, and puff pastry.
4 Types of Chestnut Pie
Chestnut pies can be savory or sweet, baked or unbaked. Here are the four main types of chestnut pie:
- 1. Chestnut meringue: Add a layer of sweetened chestnut purée, also known as chestnut butter, beneath a mountain of whipped meringue with toasted peaks.
- 2. Chestnut chocolate pie: Combine chestnut purée with creamed sugar and butter, then mix with melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into a prepared graham cracker (or similar sandy cookie) pie crust and refrigerate until set.
- 3. Chestnut pumpkin pie: Combine sweetened chestnut purée with heavy cream to create a velvety, nutty layered effect in a traditional pumpkin pie.
- 4. Savory chestnut pie: Combine rough-chopped roasted chestnuts with sautéed mushrooms, chopped rosemary, and caramelized onion in a puff pastry crust. You can also pair chestnuts with puréed butternut squash and warm spices in a rustic galette.
3 Tips For Preparing Your Chestnuts
Before you can make a chestnut pie, you’ll need to prepare your chestnuts. The method you select will impact their flavor and texture. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best preparation method:
- 1. Roasting chestnuts concentrates the flavor: Roasting concentrates the chestnuts’ flavors, amping up its sweet notes, comparable to sweet potatoes. A roasting preparation is ideal for baking a pie that places them front and center.
- 2. Boiling is best for combining with other flavors: Boiling chestnuts softens their overall profile, a better option when combining it with different dominant flavors.
- 3. Rough chops for texture: Roughly chopping chestnuts into small pieces helps them maintain their meaty chew, which is ideal for savory pies. For sweeter preparations, a smooth, sweetened purée is a popular way to add a hint of earthy, nutty flavor. You can also candy them to garnish a simple cheesecake.
Classic Roasted Chestnut Pie Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
1 hr 10 mincook time
50 minIngredients
For the crust:
For the chestnut purée:
For the apple topping:
- 1
Make the pie crust. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture, and work it between your fingers until the dough resembles coarse crumbs and there are no large pieces left (the dough should just hold together when pressed in a handful).
- 2
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, and add the cold water and vinegar. Comb through the dough with your fingers until well-combined, then begin to knead the dough until it comes together, no more than a couple of minutes.
- 3
Divide and form into two shaggy discs, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, and place one disc in the freezer for future use. Place the second disc in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- 4
While the dough rests, make the chestnut purée. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Wash one pound of fresh chestnuts and pat dry. Using a sharp knife—a paring knife or a specially designed chestnut knife with a short, curved blade—carefully score the flat, broadside of each chestnut with an x.
- 5
Place the scored nuts on a baking sheet, then roast until each nut’s outer skin has peeled back and the inner meat is soft, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Peel the chestnuts once they reach room temperature.
- 6
Bring peeled chestnuts, sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, and 1 cup of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- 7
Transfer chestnuts to the bowl of a food processor along with the vanilla extract, reserving ¼ cup whole chestnuts. Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary. The chestnut mixture should have a smooth, spreadable consistency. Set aside.
- 8
Lower the oven temperature to 350°Fahrenheit. Lightly dust a clean work surface and roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, working quickly to prevent the butter from softening too much. Roll up the dough and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp the edges into your pattern of choice.
- 9
Line the pie shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill it with your choice of pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, until very lightly golden and set. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- 10
Combine the remaining candied chestnuts, apples, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and mix well to distribute evenly.
- 11
Spread chestnut mixture along the bottom of the pie crust. Top with the spiced apples. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash.
- 12
Return the pie to the oven and bake for 15–20 more minutes, until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown.
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