Roast Chestnut Cookies

Roast Chestnut Cookies

These buttery roast chestnut cookies benefit from the contrast between the mild, nutty flavour of the dough and the sweetness of the sugar coating. You will need fresh chestnuts to prepare the roast chestnut meal, but if you are keen, you can make up a larger batch of chestnut meal and store a few bags frozen for later use. Chestnut season in Australia runs from March to June. You can buy chestnuts in many supermarkets to make your own meal, or buy chestnut flour here. 

Method

To prepare roast chestnut meal, take 300-400 g fresh chestnuts. Using a small sharp knife, cut an X through the hard outer shell. Place the chestnuts with the X facing upwards on a baking tray and roast in small batches on a baking tray for 15-20 min at 200 °C, until the inner skin peels back. Peel while still warm, as cold chestnuts become very hard to peel. Process the peeled chestnuts in a food processor to make a coarse meal. Any excess meal can be frozen for later use.

To prepare cookie dough, take 180 g of the prepared chestnut meal and blend in a food processor with the softened butter to make a paste. Add remaining dough ingredients and blend until well combined. Remove dough to a bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 h until firm. Roll dough into small balls and bake 15-17 min at 160 °C (fan-forced) on trays lined with baking paper. The cookies should be a pale golden colour—avoid over-baking. While still warm, dust cookies liberally with sugar coating. Makes about 30.