Chestnuts Roasting In A Closed Oven

The valley where I live is shivering in winter weather today.  The leaf bare trees are glazed with crystal frost.  A wet fog is winding across the roof tops.  I'm inspired to stay inside today.

One food that's particular to the early winter season is chestnuts.  In America, they're sold in grocery stores from September to December.  They can be prepared simply and are quite nutritious.  They're unlike other tree nuts by being low in fat and surprisingly high in vitamin C.  Because of the low fat content, they're best cooked soon after purchasing. Placed them in a paper bag in the refrigerator if they need to be stored for longer.

1.  To begin, rinse your batch of chestnuts in cool water.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

2.  Lay one chestnut on a cutting board with a flat side down.  Each chestnut needs an "X" cut through the tough shell so that they have room to expand while cooking.

3.  Soak all of the scored nuts in cool water for about 30 minutes.

4.  Drain the batch and pat dry.  Spread them over a baking sheet with the "X" facing up.

5.  Bake in pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Once cooked, the shells become brittle and can easily be peeled off by hand.

Sip some eggnog alongside to be extra festive.