Michigan Chestnut Pie Food

CHESTNUT MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Add the fennel seeds and melted butter; pulse until moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 8 minutes; let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Combine the chestnuts, sugar, 1 cup heavy cream and the vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream is very thick and the chestnuts are softened, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until it smells nutty and is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod from the chestnut mixture; transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the browned butter and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream and the eggs; process until combined. Let stand until thickened and cooled, about 1 hour.
• Carefully pour the filling into the crust (it will be full). Bake at 350 degrees F until the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Make the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk the sugar, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the boiling water (don't let the bowl touch the water); continue whisking until the mixture is hot (135 degrees F) and the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer; beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff, thick and glossy, 2 to 3 more minutes. Spread the meringue on top of the pie. Toast with a kitchen torch.

CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• For the filling, use a sharp knife to cut an "X" into the flat side of each chestnut. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 250°C (approximately 475°F) for about 20 minutes or until shells burst. Remove and peel chestnuts while still hot.
• Add chestnuts to a pot. Pour in milk and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Then puree with an immersion blender and stir in orange liqueur. Cook until lukewarm. Add eggs, egg yolks, cream and powdered sugar. Stir well.
• For the dough, form flour into a mound on a flat work surface. Mix with sugar and salt and make a well in the center. Cut cold butter into small pieces and distribute around well. Add egg to well with about 30 ml (approximately 2 tablespoons) of lukewarm water and chop all ingredients together with a knife. Knead with hands into a smooth dough, shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper and press into a greased pie tin. Pour in filling, smooth and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (approximately 350°F) for 45-50 minutes.
• Remove and cool. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 100°C (approximately 210°F).
• For the meringue balls: Beat egg whites with powdered sugar and salt until stiff in a bowl set over (not in) a pot of hot water until a temperature of about 50°C (approximately 125°F) is reached. Remove from hot water and slowly beat egg whites until cold. Fill egg whites into a piping bag with a small tip and on a parchment paper lined baking sheet pipe about 50 small balls about 1.5 cm (approximately 3/4 inch). Let dry completely in preheated oven for about 2 hours. The door of the oven can be slightly ajar. Remove from baking sheet and leave to cool.
• Increase oven temperatire to 150°C (approximately 300°F).
• For the pie crust: Pile flour on a work surface, mix with sugar and salt and make a well in the center of the flour. Cut cold butter into small pieces and place around outside of flour. Add 1 egg yolk into well and add approximately 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Combine all ingredients with a knife and chop well into a crumble then knead quickly with hands into a dough. Shape into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface about 1 cm (approximately 3/8 inch) thick and cut out a circle of about 22 cm (approximately 8 1/2 inches) and decorate around edge as desired (see photo). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush pastry with it. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown about 30 minutes in preheated oven. Carefully remove from oven and let cool.
• For the chestnut puree: Cut chestnuts crosswise and cover with hot water for about 40 minutes until soft. Drain, rinse with cold water, peel and skin. While still hot, press through a potato ricer. Combine milk, vanilla sugar, powdered sugar and rum with chestnuts so that a smooth puree is made. Use a little more or less milk as required. Allow to cool and squeeze chestnut puree back through a spaetzle press onto cake base. Decorate with meringue balls and serve.

MICHIGAN CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Using a strong, sharp paring knife, cut an X into the flat side of each chestnut shell. This will allow the steam to escape, preventing the chestnuts from bursting and making them easier to peel. Place chestnuts in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Chestnuts will be roasted when shells begin to peel back. Remove chestnuts from oven and let stand for five minutes to cool. Peel the shells and skin away from the nuts. In a saucepan, combine chestnuts, sugar and water, bringing the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-35 minutes, until the majority of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain chestnuts, reserving sugar syrup, and transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in syrup slowly until desired consistency is obtained. To make the pie, beat egg yolks well. Add sugar, whipping cream, orange juice, Grand Marnier and chestnut puree. Fold egg whites into chestnut mixture. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve cold with whipped cream.

PASTY PIE (NORTHERN MICHIGAN MEAT PIE)

Steps:

• Brown ground sirloin and onion.
• Dice potato and rutabaga and add to meat mixture.
• Season.
• Put meat mixture inside pie shell and seal.
• Put fork marks in shell for ventilation.
• Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until crust in golden brown.
• I like to spray the pan with non stick spray.

CHESTNUT PIE WITH RUM CREAM

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place all crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. (To mix by hand, combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, rubbing the dry ingredients together using your fingers.) Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 11-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch metal pie plate, pressing firmly into bottom and sides; trim edges as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until it turns brown and has a nutty aroma. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and chestnuts and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Carefully add 1 tablespoon rum to deglaze skillet; transfer chestnuts to a baking sheet to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup butter, chestnut puree, chestnut cream, and creme fraiche together until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons rum. Add egg mixture to chestnut mixture and stir until filling is just combined.
• Sprinkle chestnuts over bottom of crust and top with filling mixture. Transfer pie to oven and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the rum cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, rum, and vanilla bean seeds until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Transfer cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Decoratively pipe cream in a clockwise fashion, starting from the outside and working toward the center, to cover. Garnish pie with candied chestnut strips and tuile.

CHOCOLATE AND CHESTNUT PIE

Steps:

• Cream the butter& sugar together until pale& creamy.
• Add the chestnut puree, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• Place over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate is melted, stirring until smooth.
• Stir the chocolate into the chestnut mixture until combined, then add the brandy.
• Pour the filling into the cold pie crust.
• Level the surface until smooth.
• Refrigerate until set.
• Decorate with whipped cream, chocolate leaves or dusted with cocoa.