Chestnut Crème Brûlée means I’m practicing Thanksgiving one more time. Or maybe I mean Christmas. Either way this luscious dessert is a sweet way to end a holiday meal.
When I developed this chestnut recipe I assumed it would be a part of a holiday meal. But why are chestnuts so associated with holiday meals? Can’t we eat creamy Chestnut Crème Brûlée any time of the year?
Well thanks to a French product known as Creme de Marrons we actually could make Chestnut Crème Brûlée any time we felt like it. But we usually don’t. We usually wait until November rolls around. The first of November is now the “official” gateway to the holiday season. Do you remember when it was the day after Thanksgiving? That seems like such charming old tradition now, doesn’t it? These days once the “-ber” months hit, we immediately get bombarded with the lights, decorations and (oh yeah) the extended store hours. The very stores responsible for making the first of the last part of the first of the “-ber” months (September) into the new “gateway to the holidays”. Somehow their plan worked and now we all know that the “-ber” months mean chestnuts and mistletoe. Thanks in a large part to the infamous The Christmas Song it’s gotten difficult to separate chestnuts (or Chestnut Crème Brûlée) from Christmas. They now go permanently hand in hand (in hand).
Of course part of the reason we eat chestnuts (and Chestnut Crème Brûlée) in the “-ber” months is because that’s when chestnuts are in season. Chestnut season in North America runs from October to December. The very same “-ber” months when all those store hours are extended, hmmm. That’s probably unrelated…
There is a sweet secret weapon however. Creme de Marrons (chestnut spread). It’s a very common snack in France, but it’s almost impossible to find in Los Angeles. I was sent a tube straight from Paris by *Try The World. An innovative resource for all sorts of interesting products you may or may not be familiar with. Having a tube of French Creme de Marrons around the house means I needn’t rely on the”-ber” months when I’m craving a little sweet sophistication in the form of Chestnut Crème Brûlée. GREG
*Try The World selects and delivers the finest gourmet products from the greatest cities in the world, right to your door. Subscribers receive a curated box with the best gourmet and cultural finds from a different city every 2 months at their doorstep.
Crème de Marrons Chestnut Crème Brûlée
Print This Recipe Yield 8Source Adapted from Sarah Landrum, New OrleansPublished
Ingredients
- 4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 vanilla beans (split in half lengthwise)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 12 large egg yolks
- 78 gram Creme de Marrons (about 2/3 cup)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 8 tablespoon Turbinado sugar (divided)
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine cream, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and cover. Let stand 15 minutes, then remove vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks.
In the container of a blender, add egg yolks. Turn to low speed, and slowly pour in cream mixture. Add the creme de marrons and salt; blend until combined.
Divide chestnut mixture evenly between 8 (6‑ounce) ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish, and fill dish with water until about halfway up the ramekins.
Bake until custard is set, about 45 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, let cool to room temperature in water; remove from water and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Position oven rack 6 inches from broiler. Preheat oven to broil. Top each custard evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Broil in groups of 4 until sugar is melted and
lightly browned, about 5 minutes. You may alternatively use a small blowtorch to individually brown each of them.
This post is telling us:“Pack you bags, travel to France and make this recipe there!” Simple.…..
Lucky you for getting some of that chestnut puree right from Paris. I love chestnuts.mI love creme brulée, so this would ne right up my alley. I would never thought of combining the two. Thanks Greg.
Do you know the things I could get Alexis to do if I made this? I do. See you later, have to run find some Creme de Marrons 🙂
Try Paris! GREG
How fun to get a box from a different place every couple months!! When I was a kid we used to roast chestnuts. Yes… on an open fire 🙂
I’m with you, chestnuts are too good to be relegated to holiday eating only.…vive le marrons!
One of my favorite things is the smell of “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” which really happens in Spain in the winter. And I love their flavor — I must try this product, and make this brûlée. xo
Brulee is my all time favorite dessert. What a wonderful box of treats!
I’d love to get my hands on some Crème de Marrons! It’s fun preparing chestnuts, but it’s a bit of work (more than a bit, really). Love the idea of using chestnuts in Crème Brûlée. Heck, I’d serve it for Thanksgiving and Christmas both!
Now I know what to ask people to bring me! Just did some chestnut thing at my place and I am new to it all. This sounds like a great brûlée tweak.
The chestnut cream sounds so much easier than using real chestnuts. We have a tradition of making chestnut stuffing and sharing the work of getting the chestnuts ready is part of that tradition. But that work makes chestnuts a once a year thing, and it would be nice to be able to make something cool like this chestnut cream brulee easily. Maybe I could find the chestnut cream at DeLaurenti’s in Pike Place…
http://www.thefrenchybee.com Based in Woodinville 🙂 All things French
I want that box!!!
I want the brulee, I want the box, I want it ALL! Looks fantastic Greg.
Someone told me before “Life is too short, so eat your dessert first.” This Brûlée of yours is for sure will be eaten first and will make some room for after the meal. It looks so heavenly good and sinfully delicious. Thank you for sharing this dessert. 🙂
Okay, that does it! This is the year I try chestnuts. 2013. It’s about time.
This is fate; Beatrice brought me a tube of chestnut paste from Paris just like the one pictured, but I didn’t know what to make with it, until now. May I also add that the items in the Paris Box mentioned above can also be purchased for a fraction of the price at Epicure Imports wholesalers in North Hollywood. Six times a year they open to the public and you can get Alain Milliat jams, nougat bars, fleur de sel caramels, tons of stuff for up to half off the retail cost.
Oh goodness, but do I ever remember chestnut puree from culinary school! I love chestnuts. Maybe it’s the Italian in me, but I’ll take them any way I can get them, and this Chestnut Crème Brûlée sounds great. It really strikes me as something for Christmas.
The brûlée on top is totally perfect Greg! Plus, this holiday version is super fun! I’m totally intrigued by that Creme de Marrons…
I’ve never bake with chestnuts before. Time to change that ASAP. This brûlée looks amazing!!