| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 8 ounces shortbread cookies (such as Lorna Doone; about 30 cookies)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups peeled roasted chestnuts (sold in bags or jars)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large egg whites
Instructions
- Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Add the fennel seeds and melted butter; pulse until moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 8 minutes; let cool completely.
- Make the filling: Combine the chestnuts, sugar, 1 cup heavy cream and the vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream is very thick and the chestnuts are softened, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until it smells nutty and is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod from the chestnut mixture; transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the browned butter and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream and the eggs; process until combined. Let stand until thickened and cooled, about 1 hour.
- Carefully pour the filling into the crust (it will be full). Bake at 350 degrees F until the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
- Make the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk the sugar, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the boiling water (don’t let the bowl touch the water); continue whisking until the mixture is hot (135 degrees F) and the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer; beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff, thick and glossy, 2 to 3 more minutes. Spread the meringue on top of the pie. Toast with a kitchen torch.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 696 |
| Total Fat | 48 g |
| Saturated Fat | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 179 mg |
| Sodium | 195 mg |
Reviews
This recipe is amazing. My wife kept begging me to make a chestnut pie but I didn’t know how to proceed. I contemplated making a chestnut/pecan pie but that seemed too boring, and the pecans would most likely overpower the chestnut. I found this recipe and it’s 12/10! When you bite into the filling it is pure chestnut flavor, and it’s not overly sweet. This recipe is a showstopper especially during the holidays. We finished the entire pie within a day in a half. The one thing I wouldn’t recommend is adding the fennel seeds to the crust. I made this recipe twice and added the fennel seeds the second time and it overpowered the whole pie. I noticed myself only eating the filling and skipping the crust with the fennel seeds. To each their own but I think it tastes better without the fennel seeds.
If you love shortbread, this pie is for you! Absolutely delicious!
Extremely delicious- had to convert to lactose-free using lactose free vanilla yogurt mixed with a little lactose free milk to consistency of heavy cream for the heavy cream and added a little extra vanilla. Turned out light but rich. Not too sweet.
Very good roast chestnut flavor and not grainy. Delightful.
Rating not a 5 because I altered the recipe – to lactose-free.
Very good roast chestnut flavor and not grainy. Delightful.
Rating not a 5 because I altered the recipe – to lactose-free.
A must try! So incredibly good and complex in flavor. It now has a permanent place on the Thanksgiving menu.