Chestnut-Filled Crepes With Chocolate

I love chestnut-filled crepes with chocolate. However until the last few years, making sweetened chestnut purée was an ordeal. It was difficult to find the ready-made variety in a jar or a can. Consequently, it meant roasting or boiling dozens of chestnuts, laboriously peeling them, then ripping the skin under your fingernails trying to remove the inner membrane. Now almost every supermarket sells, vacuum-packed roasted and peeled chestnuts, which are quite acceptable for stuffings and purées.

The nice part of this dessert is that most of it can be made in advance. So just a few minutes of assembly and heating gives you a delicious and impressive hot dessert. Make the crepes up to a day in advance. Simply stack them on a plate with a small section of waxed paper between each crepe to keep them from sticking together. Then cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before you assemble the dessert. Makes about 12 crepes.

The chestnut puree can also be made in advance. Once cooled, store it covered in the refrigerator. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature or very gently reheat it before using in this recipe. Most recipes call for a whole cup of sugar in the purée. I prefer a less sweet version but adjust to your own taste. It should make about 1 1/2 cups of purée.

Anticipate applause as you bring the flaming crepes to the table to serve.

Click here to print or download the recipe.