Thanksgiving's Day Traditions

[lovebenton0]

The other holiday (Christmas) thread has prompted me to ask . . .

Thanksgiving? Traditonal dinner? Traditional gatherings?

Or off the kitchen wall do as you please?

We now spend Thanksgiving at home, hosting for my mr's grown daughters, often my MIL, and sometimes also my mom and oldest brother.

I love a turkey for Thanksgiving. It's just not the same without it. And I roast or smoke a really big one every year no matter how few or how many people will be here. Turkey makeovers are top on my list for foods to enjoy during late Nov and early Dec. Part of the tradition -- turkey enchiladas, turkey soup (with stock made from the carcass), turkey sandwiches of course, both sliced cold with fresh whole cranberry relish, and open face with gravy. Sandwiches come first, starting that evening and are always top choice for the first post days. The rest of turkey gets sealed and put in cold storage so I can grab a bagful when I want for the other makeovers. Always something new to try.

The night before is pie time, and the girls love to help with this. Pecan pie and pumpkin pie or my pumpkin pecan cheesecake. It is our thing to do together for the feast. (Their next major contribution is clean up time and they are so good with that! Their thank you gift to to me. Of course others are more than willing to jump in and let me sit that out after doing the do for a couple days already. ) I have already made a couple dozen assorted rolls and at least one loaf of bread earlier in the afternoon, usually before the troops start to gather.

Breakfast on T-Day often starts very early with homemade sweet potato cinnamon rolls, or mincemeat coffee cake, and big pots of coffee. Lots of pots. Dough I make the night before and let rest in the fridge to finish quickly in the morning while still yawning before the bird is on. Nothing like some sweet carbs to hold us for a few hours.

Then the marathon really begins. Typically I look forward to making stuffed acorn squash (wild and brown rice with cinnamon and ginger, dried apricots) to be prepped and baked. Dressing -- sometimes both cornbread and traditional bread dressing -- but always cornbread, which is made from the big pan I baked two days before. I like to let it get a little air dried when I break it up after cooling so we have that mix of soft and crispy after baking. Always bake in a separate pan with chicken stock, sweet onions and various add-ins; sausage or mushrooms are favorite basics. Baked sweet potatoes with plantains and pecans. Then there's the fresh green beans or asparagus to saute as bird is coming out of the oven. Menu is completed with whatever else anybody brings to the T-Day table with them.

The early breakfast goodies fortify us until we start a light late morning munch on veg and cheese, a relish tray of olives, homemade pickles and candied watermelon, sometimes crackers or toasties.

We eat early in the afternoon, so we can eat more later.

Depend on pie, omelettes or oven omelette, rolls and coffee for post-turkey brunch Fiday morning.

As my son used to say "Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, Mom. It's just all about the feast, and saying thanks to everyone I love."

So what do you eat? With whom and where do you spend your T-Day celebration?

[Pan]

I visit my parents on Thanksgiving, and it's been a 3-person affair in the last few years; if my brother makes it in from San Francisco, it'll be a pleasant surprise.

My father usually cooks a chicken. It'll probably be something like roast chicken with a gravy made mostly from the juice of the chicken plus blackened onions and such-like that will be roasted with the bird; and cranberry sauce and some type of stuffing (chestnut or cornbread, probably), accompanied by broccoli, spinach, or some other type of green vegetable and probably potatoes and sweet potatoes. My mother does like pumpkin pie and normally buys one from a local bakery. I prefer sweet potato pie. Last year, I bought a pecan pie that was very much appreciated.

[Mabelline]

Pan, does your daddy do his chicken stuffed, or dressing on the side? So many folks do the dressing outside the bird, and I'm sorry, it is not the same, thank you very much. Besides, we all managed to live this long cooking it right.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pan Pal of mine!

[Curlz]

Judith--

Care to share that stuffed acorn squash recipe? Sounds DELISH!!

Curlz

And I'll add that my T-Day tradition has become less than traditional...growing up, our extended family got together on the Sat after T-Day, so the day of has always been a 'do what you feel like' day--that can mean going to friends' for the whole meal or just for dessert. On a few years, I hosted T-Day for groups of 8-10--something that I actually think is fun to do.

Now that the family has stopped the annual gathering (thanks to distance, stress of the married folks having to see in-laws, etc., and loss of the family matriarch), I lean towards going to friends on Thursday (and cooking something impressive--to them, that is) and then cooking my own turkey and accompaniments on Friday. 'cause after all, you've GOT to have leftovers from T-day! I always make turkey soup in addition to many of the other dishes already mentioned. And I love having friends over on Fri or Sat as it's a great get-away-from-the-relatives excuse for all involved.

[Mabelline]

Okay---quick question for those doing the soup--rice or noodle? Or something else? I like an old family one with wild rice and dried pumpkin in it. Served with popovers. Yumma! Sorry, mouth is slobbering up thinking about that!

[Curlz]

Personally, I like wild rice in mine!

[lovebenton0]

Judith--

Care to share that stuffed acorn squash recipe?  Sounds DELISH!! 

Curlz

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Gladly share my recipe, Curlz, thanks for asking.

Acorn Squash with Apricot Nutty Rice

Great for stuffing partially baked acorn squash halves, then finish baking stuffed

with the rice, this is also good baked in a casserole. But then you miss the lovely squash.

Serves 6

3 acorn squash

1 small box wild rice (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup brown rice

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

Orange/Peach/Mango juice

3 tbsp brown sugar

6-8 dried apricots, diced

3 tbsp butter

1/3 cup broken pecan pieces

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 large egg

6 pecan halves dipped in butter for garnish

Bring to boil wild/brown rice together in water w/salt and butter.

Reduce heat to low and cover, cook for 50-55 minutes.

Meanwhile halve acorn squash lengthwise and remove seed pulp.

Make a thin cut on the bottoms so the squash will sit upright after stuffing.

Rub squash halves with a little cinnamon/ginger and brush with melted butter,

including the bottom cut.

Place cut side down on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or

until the squash is beginning to soften.

Drain water from rice into measuring cup. Add enough orange/peach/mango

juice (or OJ blend of your choice) to make 2/3 cups.

Add diced apricots and pecan pieces to rice.

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, butter, and egg with juice.

Pour juice mixture over rice.

Stir lightly, until rice is coated.

Scoop into 6 acorn squash halves (or into a 1 1/2 qt casserole if preparing alone).

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Garnish: Dip pecan halves for garnish in melted butter and top each mounded squash bowl after 20 minutes baking time.

The first time I tried this -- one of those oh so carefully planned and executed T-Day creations (based on my pantry at the moment ) -- I used all brown rice for the stuffing. Still very good but not as kicked up and nutty as the wild rice combo suggested by Richard Kilgore. I have made it this way ever since.

Attempted to edit for weird formatting in submitted post but it's just not happening.

Edited November 1, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)

[lovebenton0]

Okay---quick question for those doing the soup--rice or noodle? Or something else? I like an old family one with wild rice and dried pumpkin in it. Served with popovers. Yumma! Sorry, mouth is slobbering up thinking about that!

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That sounds great, Maybelline! Are drying your own pumpkin?

If so please do tell.

I alternate with the soup, as I like to use whatever strikes me at the moment. So it could be anything from say wild rice with orange flesh squash and sweet onions, to a spiked up pepper pot soup with potato and cabbage if the turkey is smoked, or fat egg noodles with baby carrots, cauliflower, etc., and a creamed stock base.

Or white meat turkey tortilla soup.

Then we can also go into roasted turkey with herbed dumplings.

[bloviatrix]

We will be going to my cousin for Thanksgiving. Her dad (my uncle) passed away in late June and this will be the first time we're all together since then. Therefore, this year the food is the least of it. It will be bittersweet without my uncle, but we'll all be happy that we come together for the joyous, not just the sad.

[Pan]

Pan, does your daddy do his chicken stuffed, or dressing on the side?

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Stuffed, though perhaps with extra baked separately and basted.

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

[phifly04]

One of my Favorite holidays for sure,always at my parents house with all relatives who want to come,usually about 15 people.Eat a light breakfast then usually munch throughout the day on olives(green and black,gherkins,deviled eggs,cream cheese stuffed celery,assorted nuts and beers and football,always have italian wedding soup first,then all the thanksgiving traditions-turkey,baked ham,stuffing(usually cornbread,sauteed asparagus,mashed potato,s ,baked biscuits,cranberry sauce,creamed onions,pickled eggs and of course Punkin pie.Man im looking forward to it already lol

Dave s

[lovebenton0]

In a previous life my ex and I were at his brother and SIL's house in Syracuse for T-Day one year. She is Italian -- very Italian -- and a marvelous cook. Being the other cook in the house at the time I was helping in the kitchen and knew what was on the menu. (My BIL was a professional cook but always declined to participate in T-Day preps -- that was her thing start to finish and she wanted him out of there! )

We starting loading the table to serve family-style with one heavenly Italian dish after another. When my ex came to the table he looked it all over and then just went with it, taking just a little bit of everything. I could almost see the wheels turning. After he finished his sparse plate he sat back and my SIL (little hurt look on her face -- the woman had knocked out an incredible feast!), asked him if he wanted more of anything. "No thanks, I'm saving room for the turkey."

She just burst out laughing. "What turkey? We are Italian, not Pilgrims!This is traditional Thanksgiving in my family. You better eat up or hit the cafeteria!"

What a moment! What a glorious meal, and what pleasure to partake in other traditions.

But I absolutely had to roast a big turkey for Christmas that year -- which is not tradition for me at all.

[Curlz]

OMG, that's HYSTERICAL!!! Even if the guy wasn't worth keeping, that story sure is!!

And thanks MUCHO for sharing the acorn squash recipe! I have one sitting in the house now, and may have to make a 'test' batch just for moi. Will let you know when I do!

Curlz

[LBNoble]

I'm both excited & terrified about this year's Thanksgiving dinner, we've just moved back into this area, most of my husband's siblings live here now, & he's the oldest & we have the largest dining room, so we get to host-that's ok, we've done that for the last few years (except when we lived in Kansas & noone could make it out over Thanksgiving). We are expecting about 20 adults & 4 kids.

My challenge is that one of our guests (my BILs mother, who is a very sweet lady) is allergic to pepper in all forms-black, white, bell, chile, paprika, you name it-I first thought, 'how can I do this?' I'm just accustomed to grinding that peppermill over everything, but now...

We will do either a turkey & a breast or 2 turkey breasts in the smoker & a ham, starters - a relish tray-olives, carrots, celery, cheese tray (everyone LOVES the Cabot smoky bacon, now if we can save room for dinner...), salami,maybe a crab dip, spinach-stuffed mushrooms, ham biscuits, smoked salmon, thinking about soup, but don't know if there will be room. Sides I will deal out to the sibs, because I (hate to say this) am indifferent-mashed potatoes, stuffing (my MIL will do this, it's important to her), green bean casserole, & the lovely canned cranberry sauce. I will fix yeast rolls, corn muffins, sauteed cabbage/mushrooms/bacon/sauerkraut, cranberry sauce w/ maple syrup & ginger & I'm debating 2 additions-cauliflower gratin (I know there are a few Atkins folks this year) & some sort of salad/dressing w/ either wild or black sticky rice & sausage & veg-onions, celery, apples, maybe?

My BIL will bring pumpkin pie (I'm not fond of it), I'll do a cheesecake, some cookies, & fruit & hopefully, everyone will want to go out for a long walk in the park after dinner...

[MsMelkor]

In a previous life my ex and I were at his brother and SIL's house in Syracuse for T-Day one year. She is Italian -- very Italian -- and a marvelous cook. Being the other cook in the house at the time I was helping in the kitchen and knew what was on the menu. (My BIL was a professional cook but always declined to participate in T-Day preps -- that was her thing start to finish and she wanted him out of there! )

We starting loading the table to serve family-style with one heavenly Italian dish after another. When my ex came to the table he looked it all over and then just went with it, taking just a little bit of everything. I could almost see the wheels turning. After he finished his sparse plate he sat back and my SIL (little hurt look on her face -- the woman had knocked out an incredible feast!), asked him if he wanted more of anything. "No thanks, I'm saving room for the turkey."

She just burst out laughing. "What turkey? We are Italian, not Pilgrims!This is traditional Thanksgiving in my family. You better eat up or hit the cafeteria!"

What a moment! What a glorious meal, and what pleasure to partake in other traditions.

But I absolutely had to roast a big turkey for Christmas that year -- which is not tradition for me at all.

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I'm going back to Syracuse for Thanksgiving this year - my stepmother, who is Italian in origin, will be doing most of the cooking (with help from Melkor and me). She always makes both a turkey and lasagna. I love lasagna, but it just doesn't seem to fit with turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and the rest of the usual Thanksgiving fare. It will still be delicious, no doubt!

[amccomb]

Breakfast on T-Day often starts very early with homemade sweet potato cinnamon rolls, or mincemeat coffee cake, and big pots of coffee.

Baked sweet potatoes with plantains and pecans.

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I would LOVE to have the sweet potato cinnamon roll and sweet potato with plantains and pecans recipes! Are you willing to give them out?

As for my tradition, for Thanksgiving Day itself, my husband and I travel up to my grandparents house and eat turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry relish. For dessert, there is chocolate pecan pie (an abomination in my mind - I love chocolate and I love pecan pie, but prefer them separate). pumpkin pie, scotcheroos, and various other desserts. There's football, parade watching, gossiping, and talk about what big sales to hit the next day. Friday we travel back home and I spend all day cooking and cleaning for Saturday, when I make a feast for friends. This year we are breaking tradition because several friends can't make it on the Saturday after, so we're doing our feast the Saturday before, which also happens to be my 30th birthday! We also invite people over for breakfast on Sunday morning when I usually make a strata, biscuits and gravy, sweet and white potato hash, and something sweet.

Here's my menu for our Saturday T-day:

appetizers:

-curried lamb meatballs

-duck and dried cherries in phyllo

-brie in puff pastry with either cranberry sauce or apricot chutney

-spiced nuts

-walnut/cream cheese in endive cups

-mini ham sandwiches with sharp white cheddar and apple butter

-baked olives

dinner:

-20 lb fresh free range organic turkey, brined and either roasted or grilled (still undecided about my grilling abilities)

-gravy with cider or port or sherry

-mashed root vegetables (maybe parsnips, or turnips, or something else, maybe mixed with regular Idahos)

-chipotle sweet potato gratin

-raw cranberry and orange relish with ginger and gran marnier

-cooked cranberry sauce with shallots and port and rosemary

-popovers

-cornmeal scones

-flavored butters - maple, sage

-the usual stuffing with chestnuts, wild rice, fennel and sausage

-a fruity stuffing with dried cherries, pears, toasted hazelnuts, sweet wine, and maybe a pinch of cinnamon or herbs like sage and rosemary. i may add cornbread to this

-veggies - still somewhat undecided. Maybe peas, turnips, roasted onions, pancetta and cream (similar to last year), maybe some sort of roasted brussel sprout dish (maybe with maple or balsamic vinegar or chestnuts or horseradish)

-bourbon corn pudding

dessert:

-probably an autumn trifle with cinnamon custard, roasted pears and apples, pumpkin caramel, and pound cake.

-maybe a chocolate chestnut cake for my birthday, if I can get my husband to help make it

-apple crisp, persimmon pudding, pecan pie (from friends)

[hillvalley]

My family and I had to the beach for Thanksgiving. We rent an apartment on the water in a building with an indoor pool and whirlpool. Thanksgiving afternoon is spent swimming and relaxing in the water, assuming we get off our lazy rears to make it down there.

The eating bonanza always starts with oysters on the half shell. Usually about a dozen and a half a piece. I make up a batch of Wasabi Bloody Mary's to go with them.

An hour or so later we move on to the main event. It's a pretty traditional meal, turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans. The big deal is always my father's chesnut puree.

He is not a cook and this always turns into a big event. My sister and I cannot stand it and my mother always tolerates the stuff. But every year it is forced upon us during the meal. We end up eating about a teaspoon a piece of the stuff.

It takes a couple of meals of leftovers where no one touches it before my father puts us out of our misery and tosses the stuff away.

[lovebenton0]

My family and I had to the beach for Thanksgiving. . . .

. . . The big deal is always my father's chesnut puree. 

He is not a cook and this always turns into a big event.  My sister and I cannot stand it and my mother always tolerates the stuff.  But every year it is forced upon us during the meal. We end up eating about a teaspoon a piece of the stuff.

It takes a couple of meals of leftovers where no one touches it before my father puts us out of our misery and tosses the stuff away.

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I've eaten chestnuts roasted and in dressing, but the last time I lived in chestnut country I was two feet tall.

What the hell is chestnut puree? And why?

Other than that oddity, your T-Day sounds like lots of fun.

Breakfast on T-Day often starts very early with homemade sweet potato cinnamon rolls, or mincemeat coffee cake, and big pots of coffee.

Baked sweet potatoes with plantains and pecans.

←

I would LOVE to have the sweet potato cinnamon roll and sweet potato with plantains and pecans recipes! Are you willing to give them out?

←

amccomb, I'm very willing to share the SP cinnamon roll recipe and the SP plantain/pecan recipe. Thanks for asking. I'll post them a little later.

I think I watched too much history into the wee, wee hours last night and need a nap first.

[suzilightning]

our traditions have, of necessity, changed over the years. the first year we were married and living in hooks, tx we rounded up all the strays from johnnybird's class at red river army depot and had them over for a traditional dinner in our single wide. there were 9 of us and we had a blast.

once back in the northeast and up till i lost my mom 13 years ago we always went out to shelter island for my sister's birthday which we celebrated on thanksgiving day. then it was out to a restaurant.

now john goes up to poughkeepsie thanksgiving morning to his mom then out to the reeds to catch up with the rest of the clan. since i usually have to work on friday and saturday i stay home. i always send up several loaves of portugese sweet bread and oatmeal bread(two things we always two days before while i was growing up, the oatmeal from my greatgrandmother's cookbook), some sort of coffee cake and usually a dessert for him to take to his aunt and uncles. sometimes it is black forest mousse pie, sometimes winner's circle pie and last year it was fudgy bourbon brownies.

i ususally make something i want that he doesn't eat - like succotash

the worst year i remember, though, was 6 years ago and john came back from a business trip with an infection that moved into his lymph gland. all he could eat was pureed things so we had leek and potato soup, mashed white sweet potatoes and chocolate mousse. later i threw some of the best pot roast i had ever done into the blender - and johnny ate it

[snowangel]

Ever since I weaned Peter, my Thanksgiving tradition is to pack and bag and cooler (after much planning!) and leave our Thanksgiving day festivies at about 2:00 pm, whether I've eaten or not. I head north with three college buddies (we've known each other since the mid-70's) to a posh resort for four days of cooking, drinking wine, hot-tubbing overlooking Lake Superior, watching movies, knitting, telling stories, complaining about our kids and husbands. We go ostensibly to address Xmas cards.

It is wonderful. We want to leave early Thanksgiving day morning, but our spouses/kids think it is important that we are with them for The Meal. We think not.

[hillvalley]

I've eaten chestnuts roasted and in dressing, but the last time I lived in chestnut country I was two feet tall. 

What the hell is chestnut puree?  And why? 

Other than that oddity, your T-Day sounds like lots of fun.

How to make Chesnut Puree

1. Buy way more chesnuts than you need.

2. Peel chesnuts. Be sure to try a different method every year so you can say "this was much easier last year." Force offspring to help and have some "chesnut bonding time"* until their whinning becomes more unbearable.

3. Boil chesnuts in chicken stock.

4. Make wife put together the Cuisinart. Make wife show you how to use it. Again.

5. Brush dust off of grand maniere bottle. Make comment about hardening your arteries while getting heavy cream out of fridge.

6. Dump the chesnuts, a bit of stock, a lot of cream and a good helping of GM into the cuisnart.

7. Blend until it has reached the consistency of dried paste.

8. Force offspring and wife to taste. Use trick of "there's alcohol in it" to get youngest offspring to open mouth.

9. Put in the same bowl every year. Put paste in the fridge.

10. Force everyone at table to take a serving, even if the serving size is a teaspoon. Marvel over your masterpeice and hard work.

Repeat every third Wednesday of November.

* Note: Chesnut Bonding Time is only successful the first year olderst offsrping comes home from college.

[lovebenton0]

Breakfast on T-Day often starts very early with homemade sweet potato cinnamon rolls, or mincemeat coffee cake, and big pots of coffee.

Baked sweet potatoes with plantains and pecans.

←

I would LOVE to have the sweet potato cinnamon roll and sweet potato with plantains and pecans recipes! Are you willing to give them out?

←

amccomb, I'm very willing to share the SP cinnamon roll recipe and the SP plantain/pecan recipe. Thanks for asking. I'll post them a little later.

I think I watched too much history into the wee, wee hours last night and need a nap first.

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Sorry this has taken me so long, amccomb, I've had a cold all week and spaced this.

BTW I would love to be eating at your place! Menu sounds phenomenal!

Here's one . . . cinnamon rolls tomorrow!

Sweet Potatoes with Plantains and Pecans

3 large sweet potatoes

4 plaintains (unripe to mid ripe-- mostly green to slightly yellow)

2/3 cup pecan halves split

Syrup

1 stick butter (unsalted)

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (ground)

1 tsp ginger (ground)

1/2 cup apple cider plus 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Garnish:

12 pecan halves

Thin slivers of *candied ginger (optional)

Peel sweet potatoes, and cut in quarters.

Cut each section in half (or 3 pieces if potatoes are very large).

Cut plantains in half crosswise. Take a sharp knife and slit the plantain peels lengthwise. Remove peeling.

Quarter plantains.

Spray a 3 quart (or 9" x 13") glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Arrange the potatoes and plantains so you have a piece of plantain for each two sweet potatoes pieces.

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in brown sugar.

Add the apple cider/cider vinegar to make a nice syrup.

Stir in cinnamon and ginger.

Cook on med low, stirring until well blended and slightly thickened.

Add pecans to syrup.

Ladle evenly over sweet potatoes/plantains.

Top with the additonal pecan halves (and slivers of candied ginger, if using).

Cover with heavy foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 375 F.

SP and plantains should be very tender but not mushy when done.

Remove foil from dish, turn off oven, return dish for five minutes to set the glaze.

*If the candied ginger seems hardened, soak in a little warm cider for a few minutes.

[lovebenton0]

I've eaten chestnuts roasted and in dressing, but the last time I lived in chestnut country I was two feet tall. 

What the hell is chestnut puree?  And why? 

Other than that oddity, your T-Day sounds like lots of fun.

How to make Chesnut Puree

1. Buy way more chesnuts than you need.

2. Peel chesnuts. Be sure to try a different method every year so you can say "this was much easier last year." Force offspring to help and have some "chesnut bonding time"* until their whinning becomes more unbearable.

3. Boil chesnuts in chicken stock.

4. Make wife put together the Cuisinart. Make wife show you how to use it. Again.

5. Brush dust off of grand maniere bottle. Make comment about hardening your arteries while getting heavy cream out of fridge.

6. Dump the chesnuts, a bit of stock, a lot of cream and a good helping of GM into the cuisnart.

7. Blend until it has reached the consistency of dried paste.

8. Force offspring and wife to taste. Use trick of "there's alcohol in it" to get youngest offspring to open mouth.

9. Put in the same bowl every year. Put paste in the fridge.

10. Force everyone at table to take a serving, even if the serving size is a teaspoon. Marvel over your masterpeice and hard work.

Repeat every third Wednesday of November.

* Note: Chesnut Bonding Time is only successful the first year olderst offsrping comes home from college.

←

Definitely answered my questions!

[jackal10]

I think this is a version of Mount Blanc aux Marrons, which is a delicious chestnut/cream desert.

Daniel Rogov's recipe

Some pipe the chestnut puree onto a meringue base, before topping with whipped cream to simulate the snowy peak.

The easy way is to use tinned chestnut puree, , which can be bought for about the same price as raw chestnuts. In the local supermarket raw chestnuts are £3/kilo (about $2/lb), while Merchant Gourmet brand tinned Chestnut Puree is £3.41/kilo (say an extra 40c/lb) I'm very happy to pay 40c to avoid the peeling!

[lovebenton0]

I think this is a version of Mount Blanc aux Marrons, which is a delicious chestnut/cream desert.

Daniel Rogov's recipe

Some pipe the chestnut puree onto a meringue base, before topping with whipped cream to simulate the snowy peak.

The easy way is to use tinned chestnut puree, , which can be bought for about the same price as raw chestnuts. In the local supermarket raw chestnuts are £3/kilo (about $2/lb), while Merchant Gourmet brand  tinned Chestnut Puree is £3.41/kilo (say an extra 40c/lb) I'm very happy to pay 40c to avoid the peeling!

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Well, when you put it that way. . .