It's time to honour the humble chestnut on Roast Chestnuts Day, December 14. As it's the season to be jolly, Roast Chestnuts Day comes at a perfect time for the holiday season. Roasted chestnuts often fill the air with their earthy scent as they're cooked by street vendors during December. Not only this, but the delicious snack keeps the cold away for those in the northern hemisphere. While the day is a relatively new celebration, the tradition of roasting chestnuts has been around for a long time. When they are roasted, the natural sweetness of the nut is revealed, delighting our taste buds!

Not everyone has the ability to make a bonfire and roast the chestnuts on an open fire. This is why we have decided to create the perfect recipe that you can make in your own home in the oven. Perfect, isn't it?

Make a batch of roast chestnuts for a festive Christmas treat to share with guests. Try our easy method and make the most of these seasonal bites.

Ingredients :

• 16 large chestnuts (or as many as you need)

Serves : 2

Cooks In : 40 min

Difficulty : Easy

Preparation Method :

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
2. Put each chestnut flat-side down on a chopping board. Hold the chestnut carefully and, using a sharp knife, cut a long slit or a cross in the top. Make sure you cut through the shell but not the nut inside. The shell is tough and flexible like skin rather than rock hard like other nut shells, so a small kitchen knife works well.
3. Tip the nuts onto a baking sheet or into a roasting tin and arrange them cut-side up.
4. Roast for 30 mins. The cuts should open up and the shell will start to peel back.
5. Leave the nuts in the tin to cool down to warm - they will be very hot inside. Put a board on top of the tin while they cool to trap the steam and make it easier to peel.
6. Serve as they are for people to peel.

Tips :

You may want to remove the inner, slightly fluffy, membrane as well. If the membrane is difficult to get off (it shouldn't be if you steam them as they cool), you can soak the nuts in boiling water for a minute to loosen them. Drain and peel.