Authentic Marron Glacé Chestnuts

Ingredients

• 30 peeled chestnuts
• 2 cups fine sugar
• 3 cups water
• A vanilla pod or vanilla sugar
• 5 tablespoons sugar syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Sugar glaze ingredients:
• 1 cup fine sugar
• A quarter cup or less water
• For boiling the chestnuts and peeling them:
• Score the shell with an "X" or "+" on each chestnut and leave them in water for a few minutes.
• Then place the chestnuts over low heat until the water just begins to boil.
• Lift each chestnut separately and cool it slightly with water so you can touch and peel it easily.
• Then boil the peeled chestnuts for 5 minutes and set them aside.
• At this stage we can wrap each chestnut in a very thin cloth like cheesecloth to preserve the chestnut's texture and keep each piece intact during cooking over the heat.
• Successful marron glacé recipe method from a friend and chef of the Sho Tabkhin Today website:
• Nicole Maawad
• Click Nicole's name to visit her page and discover her delicious recipes.
• For savory recipes, here is the link to 'Rabbit kibbeh': How to make rabbit kibbeh
• For more tasty kibbeh recipes, here are grilled kibbeh patties: How to make grilled kibbeh

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a pot on the stove except the chestnuts and let the mixture boil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the peeled boiled chestnuts and continue cooking the chestnuts for an additional 4 minutes after the syrup boils.
3. Turn off the heat and leave the chestnuts in the syrup for 12 hours.
4. After this time, repeat the previous steps: remove the chestnuts from the syrup, boil the syrup for 3 minutes, then place the chestnuts in for 4 minutes after boiling.
5. Repeat this process 3 times.
6. Finally, remove the chestnuts and leave them for several hours at room temperature on a rack to dry well.
7. Mix the fine sugar and water for the icing or sugar coating and pour this mixture over each chestnut, then leave them overnight to dry well before serving.