Peking dust #2

10 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 pounds Chestnuts
Water to cover
Milk to cover
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
⅛ pounds Butter
¼ cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Brandy
1 Egg white
⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 pinch Salt
¼ cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Heavy cream
1 cup Powdered sugar
¼ cup Maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Shell chestnuts. Place in cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes; then drain.

2. Add milk and vanilla extract to chestnuts and heat (but do not boil).

Simmer, covered, until chestnuts are tender (20 to 30 minutes). Drain, discarding milk.

3. Mash chestnuts together with butter, sugar and brandy. (The mixture should have the consistency of mashed potatoes. If it doesn't, add some heavy cream.)

4. Meanwhile heat the oven to 275 degrees. Beat egg white with cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry.

5. Fold in salt, then sugar, then remaining vanilla extract. Transfer egg mixture to a pastry tube.

6. Line a baking sheet with foil. Squeeze egg mixture out of tube in the shape of a nest. Bake until golden (40 to 50 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a serving platter.

7. Meanwhile transfer the chestnut mixture to the pastry tube. Then squeeze it out in thin threads over the baked egg nest to form a mound on top.

8. Whip heavy cream. Then sweeten it with powdered sugar. Arrange as a topping over chestnut mound. Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve.

VARIATION: For the brandy, substitute rum.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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