Roasted Chestnuts

425 Degree Oven, 15-20 minutes

Buy fresh chestnuts. They should have a little give or click when squeezed. (Before Xmas is best! After Xmas they are hit or miss...)

Cut a small criss-crossed X over the top using a knife. This slices open the outer shell enough to allow for expansion. Place chestnuts in a pan/on a baking sheet with Xs facing up.

Peel chestnuts as soon as they are safe to touch, taking off the outer shell and a woody lining so that the yellowish meat remains. The more fresh and healthy the chestnut, the more whole they will come out! Chestnuts are terribly hard to peel when they cool, so don't that long. If they cool before you get them peeled, put them back in the oven to warm them again. We like to gather around a bowl of them and eat together while they are still warm, but you can also put them all in a towel and crush their exteriors a little, then shell them all at once and leave them piled in a bowl for later.