chestnut maple orgeat
Chestnuts. Soaked, scored, and roasted, but not yet peeled.
chestnut: delicate, sweet, nutty fruit in the tree nut family. grown in the temperate northern hemisphere and often roasted and peeled (like here!)
orgeat: syrup made from ground nuts and sweetener, used in craft cocktails or coffee drinks.
Ingredients: (Makes 3 cups, or 24oz)
1 lb fresh chestnuts
1+ 1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 cup water
pinch salt
.2g xanthan gum (for thickening)
Special Equipment
Food processor/high powered blender
Cheesecloth
recipe
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recipe -
Source your chestnuts… they should be hard to the touch. A soft chestnut indicates that they are no longer fresh and should not be purchased.
Soak chestnuts in warm water for at least 15 minutes to begin to loosen their shells.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Dry and core chestnuts with a sharp knife, flat side on the cutting board, making an X shape across the domed chestnut shell. You are aiming to only cut through the shell, but cutting the whole chestnut does not warrant discarding.
Roast chestnuts, plain (no oil or salt added), for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
(Optional)! Use a towel to create a steaming chamber for the roasted chestnuts, let steam for 5 minutes. This can aid in the pealing process.
Peel the chestnuts, discarding the shell. Any dark black or wet chestnut meat indicates that nut should be discarded.
Pulse the chestnuts in a food processor or high powered blender until almost a paste.
Combine maple syrup and water in a stovetop pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and add the chestnut paste. Let simmer for 3 minutes and then remove from heat. Let cool, and cover, refrigerated for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Strain the chestnut maple mixture through a cheesecloth, saving the used chestnut meat for another use if desired. (Can be mixed with ricotta for a lovely ravioli filling!) You have made orgeat!
Add a pinch of salt to the orgeat, and SLOWLY pour in the xanthan gum, whisking constantly. Adding this thickening agent will cause it to bind to itself, and you will see white clumps in the orgeat. If this does happen, strain the mixture again and add slowly fresh xanthan gum into the orgeat, mixing constantly until desired thickness is reached
Enjoy in cocktails or coffee drinks! Shelf life = 2 weeks.
