Chestnut spread

[Mannlicher]

For a number of years, I have made a Christmas cake using dacquoise layers, filled with Whipped cream mixed with Chestnut spread. I was buying the Chestnut spread from a store in Miami. they got in about a dozen cans from France, once a year. Good stuff.
Now that I have moved back to North Florida, the only source of the sweetened spread is via the internet.
I have a friend living near me, with a dozen Chestnut trees on her farm, and she gifted me with several pounds of fresh Chestnuts.
I decided to try to make the spread myself, and found some references, but no recipe, in a turn of the century cookbook.
Here is what I wound up with, and it is as good, if not better, than the imported French spread. I made small Dacquoise rounds, cookie sized, and spread the Chestnut puree on them for dessert the other night. Oh My that was good.

1 ½ pounds Chestnuts
Peel the nuts, and place in 5 quarts boiling water, reduce heat, and boil for 45 min, or longer, until the nuts are soft. Remove the Chestnuts with a strainer, and place in the food processor.
Strain the liquid, and reserve one cup. Pulse the food processor, and add enough of the liquid to produce a fairly thick puree.

2 Cups sugar
10 ounces water
Put the sugar and water in a sugar pan. Do not stir. Swirl to mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Swirl pan from time to time. Cook until the syrup thickens, and will heavily coat a spoon. (soft crack stage)

Remove syrup from heat, and pour the syrup in a thin stream, into the food processor with it running. When all incorporated, pour in two teaspoons of vanilla. And run processor until all is well incorporated.
Remove spread from the food processor, place in a bowl, and refrigerate.

[HotChef]

..never mind how good and expensive cans and preserves are.and it is nice to know that we still CAN cook in the age of microwave and soybeans...