VegetarianAlpine Italian cuisine Desserts

Kastanienherzen

Name: Kastanienherzen
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 500 g cooked chestnuts; 80 ml Whole milk; 70 g icing sugar; 5 ml Vanilla extract; 15 ml Dark rum; 150 g dark chocolate; 15 g Unsalted butter; 150 ml double cream; 15 g icing sugar

Kastanienherzen, called cuori di castagna in Italian, are rich South Tyrolean chestnut confections dipped in dark chocolate and crowned with fresh whipped cream.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 360 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g cooked chestnuts — peeled and boiled or steamed
80 ml Whole milk — for softening chestnuts
70 g icing sugar — sifted
5 ml Vanilla extract — pure extract or paste
15 ml Dark rum — optional South Tyrolean addition
150 g dark chocolate — 70% cocoa solids, chopped
15 g Unsalted butter — for glossing the chocolate
150 ml double cream — chilled
15 g icing sugar — for sweetening cream

Equipment

•Potato ricer
•Saucepan
•Heatproof bowl
•Piping bag with star nozzle
•Baking sheet
•Baking parchment

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 360 kcal
fat: 19 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 360 kcal

Instructions

1
Simmer the cooked chestnuts with the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat for eight minutes until very tender.
2
Drain any excess liquid, reserving two tablespoons of warm milk in a small cup.
3
Pass the hot chestnuts through a fine potato ricer into a wide bowl to ensure no lumps remain.
4
Work in the seventy grams of icing sugar, rum and reserved milk until a smooth, pliable paste forms.
5
Chill the chestnut mixture in the refrigerator for twenty minutes until firm enough to shape.
6
Divide the mixture into twelve portions and mould each by hand into a heart shape with an indented top.
7
Melt the dark chocolate and butter gently in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water.
8
Dip the base and pointed sides of each heart halfway into the glossy chocolate, leaving the top chestnut exposed.
9
Arrange the chocolate-coated hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for fifteen minutes until set.
10
Whip the chilled double cream and fifteen grams of icing sugar together until stiff peaks form.
11
Pipe a neat rosette of whipped cream into the upper indentation of each chestnut heart just before serving.

Chef's tips

Rice the chestnuts while they are still warm so they break down into a completely silky dough. If the mixture feels sticky while shaping, lightly dust your hands with icing sugar. Always add the cream just before eating so the chestnut remains firm.

Ingredient substitutions

dark rum → apple juice or extra milk for an alcohol-free alternative
freshly boiled chestnuts → vacuum-packed cooked whole chestnuts, gently heated before ricing

Storage

Store undecorated chocolate-coated hearts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating

Serve chilled straight from the refrigerator, adding fresh whipped cream immediately before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Leaving chestnut lumps in the mixture, which causes the delicate hearts to crumble.
•Overheating the chocolate glaze, which dulls its sheen and prevents a crisp shell.
•Piping the whipped cream hours in advance, which softens the chocolate coating.

Serving suggestions

Serve at the end of an autumn Törggelen meal alongside roasted chestnuts.Pair with a glass of sweet South Tyrolean Gewürztraminer passito or black coffee.Present on a rustic wooden platter dusted lightly with icing sugar.