Maltese Imbuljuta tal-qastan - Boiled Chestnuts with Cocoa

This Maltese recipe is a traditionally served after Christmas midnight mass or even as a warm drink on New Year's Eve. The aroma of spices and citrus certainly fills the home with a sense cosiness and homeliness. After cooking, the chestnuts are usually mashed and served warm. In my family we used to add evaporated milk to our cocoa chestnuts, this makes the drink taste even better. Also my parents used to booze it up a bit by adding some whisky!! It also is prepared using dried chestnuts, so if using fresh chestnuts, make sure you adjust the method accordingly. The result is just exquisite and when we recently prepared this recipe it soon triggered nostalgic memories of our childhoods when our mothers used to prepare it for us. Give it a go! You will need...

• 500g dried chestnuts, soaked in water for 24 hours
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Peel of half an orange
• Peel of half a tangerine or clementine
• Whisky, to taste (optional)
• Evaporated milk, to serve

1. Start by cleaning well the pre-soaked chestnuts from all the brown bits they might have left on them and discarding the water that they were soaked in. 
2. Put the chestnuts in a pot and cover with water. Add the sugar, cocoa, cloves and citrus peel and stir well.
3. Bring the chestnuts to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about an hour or until the chestnuts are soft.
4. When chestnuts are cooked, add the whisky if using and stir again. Remove the citrus peel from the pot and roughly break the chestnuts with a masher. 
5. Serve hot in bowls or mugs equalling the amount of chestnuts and cocoa liquid. Add evaporated milk to taste.

Enjoy!!

R&A