This time of year we hear an awful lot about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Despite that that actually sounds pretty dangerous, it also makes us feel all cozy and warm and at-home. In addition to playing a crucial role in our collective holiday consciousness, chestnuts are a veritable culinary workhorse — perfect in recipes that call to arms flavors that are sweet, as well as those that are savory. And, while they're perfect for Thanksgiving stuffings and Christmas cookies, they're also pretty fair game year round. Because chestnut cupcakes are a thing, and cupcakes are forever.
Roasted Chestnuts
Sure, you can buy prepared chestnuts if you’d like, but we suggest you start here, with fresh nuts and this simple-to-follow roasted chestnuts. Open fire: optional. (via The Framed Table)
Chestnut Tart with Oyster Mushrooms
This tart starts with a chestnut flour crust. The slight sweetness from the chestnuts partners well with the earthy mushroom, rosemary, and feta filling. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (via Green Kitchen Stories)
Roasted Chestnut Cookies
These cookies are guaranteed to melt in your mouth. Full to the brim with chestnuts, butter, warm winter spices, and then rolled in powder sugar, these little guys are worth including on your holiday to-bake list. (via Smitten Kitchen)
4. Gluten-Free Quinoa & Wild Rice Dressing with Spicy Sausage, Shiitake Mushrooms, Leeks, Roasted Chestnuts and Dried Cherries: This stuffing recipe has a long cast of characters — quinoa, wild rice, bread, sausage, shiitake mushrooms, leeks, asiago cheese, dried cherries, and, yes, roasted chestnuts. But we think you’ll find this dish to be worth the long shopping list. (via The Cozy Apron)
Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Chocolate goes with everything, and chestnuts are certainly not an exception to this rule. Check out this chocolate cake and see what we mean. (via Simone’s Kitchen)
Chestnut Hummus
Chickpeas are so pedestrian. Step up your hummus game with this chestnut recipe. Serve with homemade herbed pita chips for an extra special holiday snack. (via Busy in Brooklyn)
Chestnut and Chocolate Truffles
These chocolate truffles are extra creamy and rich, in no small part thanks to their use of pureed roasted chestnuts. Cook up a batch to bring as a hostess gift this holiday season. (via Fig & Honey)
Chestnut and Hazelnut Cheesecake
As a rule, one either likes cheesecake or they are wrong. Still unconvinced? Try this chestnut and hazelnut version. It feels good to be right, doesn’t it? (via The Healthy Foodie)
11. Cranberry, Chestnut, and Challah Stuffing Muffins: This chestnut and challah bread stuffing is cooked up in individual muffin cups. We now live in a world where stuffing is portable. All of our dreams have come true. (via Kitchen Tested)
Chestnut and Yogurt Smoothie
Need something to wash down all that chestnut cake? Go for this chestnut smoothie. With Greek yogurt, rolled oats, and pumpkin seeds, this tasty sip also serves well as a meal-on-the-go. (via Food Recipes HQ)
14. Cream Cheese and Chestnut Cupcakes: This cupcake recipe uses both roasted chestnuts and chestnut flour, and so we would be remiss in not including it here. A cream cheese frosting rounds out these easy-to-bake gluten-free treats. (via Emilie and Lea’s Secrets)
Winter Scones with Chestnuts, Figs, and Vanilla Beans
Scones are a very cozy food, but they are often overlooked for muffins, donuts, danishes, and all the other breakfast show-offs. Not on our watch. Check out these chestnut and fig scones to see just how well a scone can stand its ground. (via Lady and Pups)
Chestnut Mousse Cake with Sour Cherries
We have a lot of feelings about this epic cake recipe — and rest assured that they are all good feelings. This recipe starts with a cinnamon sponge cake, which is topped in a chestnut and rum mousse. But wait — there’s more. A homemade whipped cream, adorned with walnut pralines and sour cherries, sits pretty on the very top. This cake takes being a cake very seriously. (via Somewhere Over the Kitchen)
Chestnut Butter
This holiday season, fuel your nut butter addiction with this chestnut butter recipe. Josephine combines roasted chestnuts with walnuts for a festive holiday treat that works as well on a cheese and fruit platter as it does as a homemade gift. (via A Tasty Love Story)
Velouté de Châtaignes (Creamy Chestnut Soup)
With bacon, herbs, and heavy cream, this soup is no ordinary soup — it’s chestnut soup for the soul. Perfect on a cold winter’s night. (via Saveur)
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Emily McDonald
Emily K. McDonald is a writer, editor, and Food's Official #1 Fan. She blogs about cooking, eating, and running at LeafParade.com. One day she will learn to play the accordion.
