Biting into a marron glacé is such a wonderful treat that I will never say no to. These candied chestnuts are sweet, tender and nutty all in one. While they take some patience to make over a few days, they are not all that difficult. And you'll soon discover, entirely worthwhile.
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For me, I associate marrons glacés with when I lived in Madrid. They sold them in the food hall of one of the department stores that I was browsing for gift ideas before Christmas and I was immediately tempted. Actually, now I think if it, I think they may have been giving away some to try which drew me in.
Either way, I got some for my parents who I was visiting over Christmas and we were all hooked. I was back in the store getting more not long after I returned.
Unfortunately, they were not exactly cheap so they are not something you would snack on all the time. And having now made them, I understand the pricing. There's no getting away from the fact these take a little time, and they can be delicate. But at the same time, they are not that difficult, either, and for me well worth the effort.
What is a marron glacé?
A marron glacé (plural marrons glacés) is essentially a candied chestnut with a slight glaze on top. They are popular in France and Northern Italy in particular where chestnuts are widely found and used.
The first known recipe for them appeared in Lyon in the 16th century but whether they were first made in France or Northern Italy is unclear.
Since you only need chestnuts, sugar and water for these, having quality ingredients is really important. For this dish, you ideally want the larger, better-quality chestnuts - these are what are called "marron" in France as opposed to "châtaigne" that generally refers to the smaller variety.
Stages in making marrons glacés
There are three key stages to make these:
- Prepare the chestnuts - this is probably the most fiddly since it includes peeling them, but is still not that difficult. Boiling only takes 10 minutes, but it will take a bit more time to score them before and peel after.
- Soak the chestnuts in sugar syrup - this takes the longest, as you do this over a few days. Each day, you re-heat the syrup and quickly simmer to help encourage the chestnuts to soak up more of the sweet goodness. Again, though, it's not difficult.
- Drying the chestnuts - once the chestnuts have absorbed all the syrup they can, you dry them in a low oven to finish them off.
Hints and tips
Use fresh chestnuts - this is key to getting these to work. If they have been sitting out too long they will already start to dry and so won't cook and absorb the syrup as well. See my how to roast chestnuts post for lots of tips on selecting chestnuts in the store (including in the chilled section and feel).
If you are unsure about the chestnuts you have, you can soak them in water after scoring them to help them re-hydrate a little which may help. But really, getting fresh chestnuts is your best bet.
Take care peeling the chestnuts - ideally you want to keep them whole. While there is nothing wrong with how smaller pieces taste, they are more fiddly to handle and certainly not as good if you are gifting, for example.
The best tips for peeling are to take your time and use the tip of a small knife, for example, to help get small bits of shell out from between the folds in the nut.
Ensure the chestnuts are cooked but not too soft before starting to soak in syrup. If they are not sufficiently cooked, they won't absorb the syrup as well and will likely turn out hard. If they are too soft, they may break up more easily through the process of making them.
While nothing is that difficult, they can be a little fiddly. I would say, once you have made them once they are easier to make again as you definitely learn from trying. Then, I recommend that you make a few extra than you think you might want in case some break up. They are good for quality control testing 🙂
There's no getting away from the fact these take some time to maker and are now and then a little fiddly, but once you bite into a marron glacé, all the effort will be worth it. They are such a tasty little treat, particularly during the festive season, and make a great gift as well. So if you find some fresh chestnuts,be sure to buy extra to give these a try.
Try these other treat ideas, perfect for gifting:
- Cranberry truffles
- Turron de Jijona (Spanish soft nougat)
- Baklava
- Plus get more festive holiday ideas in the archives.
Marron glacé (candied chestnuts)
Ingredients
- 240 g fresh chestnuts (should give around 7oz/200g when peeled)
- 200 g sugar
- 200 ml water 200ml = ½ plus ⅓ cup
Instructions
- Holding the chestnut by the thicker base, carefully make slight cuts in the tip of the chestnut skin to form a cross, trying not to cut into the chestnut itself (see picture above).
- Place the chestnuts in a pan and cover with water to just a little over the level of the chestnuts. Warm over a medium-high heat to bring to a boil and boil for around 10 minutes. The ends of the chestnuts that you cut should fan open.
- Remove the pan from the heat and take a few chestnuts out of the water at a time and carefully peel them with the help of a cloth, if it helps. It can be tricky as the chestnuts may be hot, but it is easiest when they are still warm and slightly moist (which is why just taking some out of the water at a time is suggested). Take care not to break them, if possible, and use the tip of a knife to get any bits of the skin that may be stuck in the crevasses. Discard the skins and cooking water.
- Place the sugar and water in a clean pan and warm them over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for a minute or two, then add the peeled, cooked chestnuts. Simmer them for around 10 minutes then remove the pan from the heat. If you like, you can transfer everything to a sealable container, or you can just set the pan aside, covered. Either way, let the chestnuts sit in the syrup at room temperature overnight.
- The next day (around 24hrs later), remove the chestnuts from the syrup with a slotted spoon and set aside temporarily. Bring the syrup to a simmer again and add back the chestnuts. Simmer for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool again, then leave overnight.
- Repeat this process two more times, ie bringing to a simmer 4 times in total, over 4 days. On the fourth day, after you have simmered and removed from the heat, take the chestnuts out of the syrup and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 250F/120C and place the chestnuts in the oven for around 1 hour until they are relatively dry to look at and touch. Allow to cool then either serve or wrap - they can be kept at room temperature but are best separated with parchment or in individual paper liners within a sealed container.
Nutrition
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I first shared the recipe for marrons glacés on Curious Cuisiniere, where I am a contributor.
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Jere Cassidy
I have never had a chestnut so this recipe intrigues me, and it's so simple to make with just three ingredients.
Caroline's Cooking
It's true, you don't need a lot of ingredients for this at all, just a bit of patience 🙂 But it's worth it, and a lovely introduction to chestnuts.
Jennifer
I love chestnuts around the holidays and this is such a clever and creative recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, I certainly can't take credit for the idea since it's a traditional recipe, but I agree it's a clever process (with tasty results!)
Tania
Will I be able to make these with already cooked chestnuts as we don't get them in South africa we only get ones in tins or bottles
Caroline's Cooking
So I keep meaning to try these with the ready-cooked chestnuts to see how they come out. Since you start by cooking the chestnuts, to a point it shouldn't be too different. My only thought it that the tin/bottle ones may not absorb the sugar syrup quite as well as they tend to be that bit softer than when you cook yourself (so probably are less able to act like a "sponge"). I'd hope that as long as they absorb some and you give then that final glaze, they should still be good even if not quite as much of the sweet flavor throughout (they certainly will be soft enough).