Fall is chestnut season. It’s been a tradition in our family to go chestnut-picking each fall, and this year, we got a record number of chestnuts–321!

My mom makes chestnut rice out of them, but I proposed something new this year. Continuing on the matcha stream, we decided to try out the matcha chestnut cake. The recipe is adapted from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders.

Why chestnuts? A 3-ounce serving of chestnuts contains 4 grams of insoluble fiber, which helps regulate our digestive system. A serving of chestnuts also contains 50% of the recommended daily intake of manganese, which helps connective-tissue production and blood-clotting. It also contains 21% of our daily recommended intake of B vitamins, which help produce red blood cells, break down protein, carbs and fats to use for energy and enhances our skin and brain health.

Before we begin, we first have to place the chestnuts into a pot, add enough water to cover the surface, and bring it to a boil. This will soften the outer coat, making the next step a bit easier, which is to peel off the shell. Be very careful when using a knife to peel the shell.

Once your chestnuts are all peeled, you’re ready to begin!

Matcha Chestnut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All-purpose flour

• ⅔ cup Granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp Matcha tea powder

• ½ tsp Baking powder

• 2 Eggs, large

• 1 stick Unsalted butter

• 1.5 cup Chestnuts, boiled and peeled

Instructions:

Note: If you are using an oven instead of a rice cooker, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and follow the instructions.

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, matcha powder and baking powder.

2. In a smaller microwave-safe bowl, place the stick of butter and microwave until melted. Add the eggs and mix well.

3. Pour the wet ingredients (the butter and egg mixture) into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Mix well.

4. Chop each chestnut into small chunks (3-4 pieces) and pour into the bowl. Mix well so that each bite of cake will have a taste of the delicious nut!

5. Grease the bottom of the rice cooker or cake tray and pour in the batter.

6. Allow the cake to cook in the rice cooker for at least 1 hour. If your rice cooker ends before the cake is ready and automatically switches to the “Keep Warm” function, cancel and press “Cook” again. This may happen more than once depending on your rice cooker.

7. If the bottom of your cake was as burnt as ours, don’t fret! Simply slice off the burnt portion for a smooth, green surface.

Chestnut Paste

During my semester in Paris, I tried all different types of crepes, but after trying the crêpe à la crème de marron, I was hooked—and so was my mom! Marron means chestnut in French and crème de marron is chestnut paste, which can be used in crepes, as cake fillings or simply pasted on bread. We’ve been on the hunt for this in the States, with very little luck. So we decided to make our own! Here’s how:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Maple syrup (I used 100% pure maple syrup from Montréal, but you may use pure alternatives)

• 2 cups chestnuts, boiled, peeled

Instructions:

1. Place chestnuts into a blender and blend. I like to keep a few chunks of chestnuts in my paste so I didn’t blend it completely.

2. Place the chestnut chunks into a pot and add just enough water to cover the surface of the chestnuts.

3. Add the maple syrup and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until you reach a gooey consistency.

4. Drizzle the chestnut paste over your slice of matcha chestnut cake and enjoy your dessert!