Sweet chestnut season means it's festive time in France. From roasted chestnuts sold around Paris, enjoyed in savoury dishes to candied chestnuts in cakes and desserts, they're also deliciously healthy. Conserved the rest of the year in the form of gluten free chestnut flour, discover its many uses.
French Sweet Chestnut Season
Autumn/Winter; October, November, December & January.
What's the Difference Between Horse Chestnut & Sweet Chestnut (Chataîgne vs Marron)?
The sweet chestnut's long prickly cupule or "burr" is brown and contains 2-3 little nuts.
However, these are not to be confused with the horse chestnut or conker tree which is found in cities and parks and inedible: its thick burr is green and only contains one inedible nut. Best keep these as conkers for the nature table! For more information on the differences, please see the French health site, Anses;
Marron vs Chataîgne: It can be confusing hearing the word, marron in French as the 'marronier' is the horse chestnut/conker tree but its inedible fruit is known as the marron d'Inde. The Marron generally refers to the edible sweet chestnut fruit from the Chataîgnier.
Random Facts About Sweet Chestnuts in France
- Did you know that chestnuts are extremely healthy for you? According to Aprifel (French Ministry of Agriculture), they are high in Vitamin B9, potassium and fibre;
- How to choose the best ones? Ensure there are no holes where insects could have hidden - and the shinier the better reveals that they are fresh;
- Chestnuts are always eaten cooked, never raw;
- They're grown in mainly forests and mountainous regions in France (Corsica, Auvergne, Cevennes, Périgord/Dordogne, Ardèche with AOP since 2014);
- The French refer to the chestnut tree as the Bread Tree (l'arbre à pain) as they grow in areas where wheat is virtually impossible to grow. It's therefore the main cereal used in these regions and the flour, naturally gluten free, is used in many recipes. See below for inspiration!
- In the Cevennes, they produce a chestnut syrup called 'la Cévenole'. Our friends from the Auvergne use it to make a delicious kir cocktail;
- In France, we use sweetened chestnut & vanilla purée or paste in many cakes and desserts. The most famous paste available around France is by both Clément Faugier and Sabaton.
Children are familiar with a simple dessert of fromage blanc or petit-suisse served with a dollop of the purée. Added to cakes - and macaron fillings (one of my favourite chocolate-chestnut macaron recipes is in 'Teatime in Paris'), it gives an extra moisture and silky texture. - The most classic French pastry with chestnut purée is the Mont Blanc.
With its meringue and cream heart, it's encased in delicious, thin strands of chestnut and vanilla cream. (See my article on Angelina's popular classic).
Chestnut Flour (Farine de Chataîgne)
Chestnut flour is naturally gluten free and available all year round. When using in recipes, as it tends to be pretty strong and rustic in character, lighten cakes and pastries by mixing it with regular plain all-purpose flour.
As my husband is Corsican, like in Italy, you'll find many recipes using chestnut flour in tart bases and in cakes. Many are on this blog, inspired by his family's hilltop village near Corte.
Always sift chestnut flour first, as it is prone to be quite lumpy. Mix some Chestnut Flour in cakes, cookies and pancakes - for more, see recipes below.
Christmas in France means Chestnuts!
In Autumn and Winter in Paris, it's a familiar and welcoming sight to see chestnuts roasting on top of supermarket trolleys on large pans. Sold in pokes at the exits of metro stations or just on the street, they're a real treat!
Chestnuts had a poorer history but today chestnuts are in many christmas treats, especially yule logs (bûches de Noël). However, perhaps the most popular French way of enjoying chestnuts over the festive season is with candied chestnuts (marrons glacés), found in most top patisseries around France.
Why are Marrons Glacés so Expensive?
Enjoyed completely on their own, they are expensive due to being hand-picked and requiring a long process to make them. Alternatively, top broken marrons glacés on desserts, Whisky ice cream or add to the middle of vanilla or salted caramel macarons (recipes in both my books).
Savoury Chestnut Dishes
On the savoury side, pre-cooked chestnuts are easily found at the market and in supermarkets vacuum-packed or in jars/tins or frozen (either pre-cooked or raw).
Although naturally quite sweet, they're a delicious, healthy addition to tarts and gratins. Add to roasted vegetables or sautéed green beans to accompany the Christmas turkey (dinde de Noël) or main dishes - or top on soups.
If using jarred whole chestnuts, consume quickly once opened.
For soups: use 12 pre-cooked whole chestnuts to make this healthy Pumpkin, Leek & Chestnut Soup and mix them into mushroom soup.
Whole chestnuts are added to this bubbling cheesy Butternut and Walnut Gratin. For non-vegetarians, add bacon, chicken or leftover turkey.
Add whole chestnuts to this pumpkin and mushroom tart - the best Autumnal flavours comes together on top of a moreish tart crust made with chestnut flour.
French Dessert Recipes with Candied Chestnuts and Sweet Chestnut Spread
The French are crazy about chestnuts at Christmas time - and that usually means candied chestnuts or marrons glacés.
For chestnut lovers, this chestnut and vanilla ice cream is great at any time of year. Made with candied chestnut paste, top with some marrons glacés for the ultimate holiday dessert - either on its own or serve with palets bretons or tuiles.
Go one step further with this ice cream and make an Ice Cream Yule Log (Bûche de Noël Glacée) with zest and candied clementines, a delicious festive match!
Spread a layer of candied chestnut paste to the baked sweet pastry base (pâte sucrée) of this French almond tart.
Chestnut paste is added to this sticky orange caramel cake, adding that French touch and extra moist texture. In Corsica, chestnut is paired with clementine oranges so this is my fusion of a British and French dessert.
Moist banana nut bread is made extra moist with candied chestnut purée and chestnut flour - so it's a double whammy!
For a teatime treat with a little extra je ne sais quoi, these Scotch Pancakes (or Drop Scones) are made with chestnut flour.
Replace hazelnut flour with chestnut flour to make Chocolate Chip and Chestnut Cookies.
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