Cooked plain chestnuts, unlike the über-rich marron glacé, have a dusty flavour that is helped in something sweet like this by marinating it is a simple mixture of brown sugar, vanilla and rum. As the chestnuts are chopped first this helps the syrup soak in and, when baked in a brownie, helps them to taste almost candied in the crumb.
240g tin of cooked chestnuts
200g brown sugar
25ml dark rum
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs, separated
200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
100g plain flour
Line a 20cm deep square tin with non-stick baking paper. Chop the chestnuts and stir well with 100g sugar, rum and vanilla. In a clean bowl beat the eggs whites until they form soft white peaks then slowly beat in 100g sugar until you have a soft meringue, then beat in the yolks. Melt the butter and the chocolate then remove from the heat and beat this with the chestnuts and flour. Mix this with the meringue then spoon into the tin. Bake at 170°C/150°C fan/335°F/gas 3 for about 20 – 25 minutes until barely set in the middle, then leave in the tin until cold before cutting.
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