Marrons a la Lyonnaise

 

---

Source: French Country Cooking (1987) by Elizabeth David.  Decorated by John Minton.  Penguin Books.

• 1-1/2 pound of skinned chestnuts

• 1 -or- 2 cloves

• 4-6 ounces of sugar

• 3 ounces of butter

• 3 egg yolks

• 3 egg whites

• brandy -or- rum

• cream

Make a puree from 1 pound of skinned chestnuts (start off with about 1-1/2 pounds), cooked in very slightly salted water to which you have added 1 or 2 cloves.  Add to the puree 4-6 ounces of sugar (according to how sweet you like the chestnuts), 3 ounces of butter, 3 yolks of eggs, and finally the whites of the eggs stiffly beaten.  A little brandy or rum (added before the whites of eggs) will do no harm.

Pour the mixture into a cake tin and cook for about 40 minutes in a moderate oven.  When cold, turn it out, and serve with cream.

This is a very filling sweet, and, although it does not look very large, this amount is ample for eight people.

Serves 8.