Baked chesnuts: how to select and bake chesnuts

Christmas is officially on its' way. And that means: Christmas markets are widely open ;) Hot spiced wine, sweet comforting scent of roasting chestnuts, big company and a lot of fun during cold evenings. Wanna make a Christmas mood at home? Here's how.

Chestnut season is running from early October through late December. When buying chestnuts pay attention to healthy, unwrinkled shells and a glossy brown surface. Pick the heaviest chestnuts. Fresh chestnuts feel firm to the touch and are heavy in the hand. There should be no space between the shell and the nut inside.

Did you know that chestnuts...

• ...are the best choice for evening snack? Because they are easy to digest and are boosted with relaxing Tryptophan
• ...act as a base food and therefore help at heartburn?
• ... contain a mix of protein, starch and fibre, thus making for a longer time full?
• ... with a high value of B-vitamins make the nerves stronger?

As you understood for this recipe you need only main ingredient and around 30 minutes.

First, wash the nuts under running water. Preheat the oven to 160-180C.  With the use of a sharp knife, make a cross-shaped incision about 0.4 cm deep on the top of each chestnut shell. Bake them 20 minutes and leave in the closed oven for another 10 minutes to rest. Here you go: a healthy snack is ready to go.