Puding De Castañas (Portuguese Chestnut Pudding)
Although the title says "Pudding", it is actually more like a flan. I haven't tried this yet, but just had to save it for ZWT because I love chestnuts. Since they are time consuming to prepare and peel, I would personally buy the ready-to-use chestnuts sold at Williams-Sonoma.
INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 1⁄3cup sugar
- 1teaspoon rum
- 1cup chestnut puree
- 2 1⁄4cups heavy cream
- 1⁄2cup sugar
- 5
- 2egg yolks
- 1⁄2teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS
- Heat 1/2 cup sugar and the rum in a heavy skillet or saucepan, stirring constantly until it melts and turns a dark golden color. Pour immediately into a metal ring mold and tilt to cover entire bottom with liquid caramel.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and stir while heating, but do not let it come to a boil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar until smooth and light yellow in color. Add vanilla and mix well.
- Add the chestnut puree and mix well. Pour the hot cream into the chestnut mixture and stir until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated evenly.
- Fit a dish towel in the bottom of a high-sided pan that will accomodate the ring mold. Place the metal ring mold in the pan, then place both on the oven rack.
- Pour the pudding mixture into the ring mold, then carefully pour the boiling water into the larger pan to a level that reaches halfway up the side of the ring mold.
- Bake pudding until set, about 1 hour or until a knife comes out reasonably clean. Cool flan on a metal rack, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
- To unmold, run a rubber spatula around edge of mold, all the way down to the bottom and all the way around.
- Place the serving platter over the mold, then quickly flip over so that the flan slips onto the serving plate.
- Scoop any leftover caramel onto the flan and serve.
- Note: you can also make these individually in small ramekins.