Chestnut Kaiserschmarrn – a cosy taste of autumn

For 4 people

Ingredients for the chestnut purée
about 200 g raw chestnuts (yielding roughly 80 g once peeled)
100 ml milk
20 g sugar

Ingredients for the Schmarrn
140 ml milk
160 g flour
3 eggs
a pinch of salt
5 tablespoons sugar (plus a little extra for caramelising)
100 g chestnut purée
butter for frying
icing sugar for dusting
cranberry jam and/or vanilla ice cream

This South Tyrolean-style dessert starts with a creamy chestnut purée. Score the chestnuts with a cross and pick the cooking method that suits you:

The traditional way over an open fire: roast the chestnuts in a hot chestnut pan for about 20–30 minutes until the shells turn dark and slightly charred (total time about 1 hour).

In the oven: roast at 200 °C for 30–40 minutes until the shells darken and peel away easily (total time about 1 hour).

In a pot: for the simplest approach boil the scored chestnuts in plenty of water for about an hour until soft (total time about 1.5 hours).

Ready-made: if you’re short on time, you can buy chestnut purée – for instance at Bäckerei Pircher in Partschins or online from Alpeinfein.

After cooking, place the hot chestnuts in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and peel them. Briefly simmer the peeled chestnuts with milk and sugar, then blend into a smooth cream.

For the Schmarrn itself, beat the eggs until fluffy, mix in sugar and milk, sift in the flour and stir to a smooth batter. Fold in the chestnut purée. Heat some butter in a pan over medium heat, pour in the batter and cook until golden. Flip, sprinkle with sugar and let it caramelise slightly.

Tear into bite-sized pieces with two forks, dust with icing sugar and serve with cranberry jam or vanilla ice cream.