Roast Chestnuts in Vanilla Bean Syrup

It is a chestnut kind of year!

Roast Chestnuts in Vanilla Bean Syrup

• 1 pound chestnuts
• 11/2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling if desired
• 11/2 cups water
• 1 vanilla bean, split

Use a sharp knife to score skin of each chestnut.  Heat oven to 375.  Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add chestnuts and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and transfer chestnuts to a roasting pan.  Place in hot oven and roast about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile combine sugar and water in a saucepan.  Stir just to dissolve sugar.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add vanilla bean, scraping beans from pod.  Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  

Remove chestnuts from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.  Peel nuts.  Transfer sugar syrup to a heat proof jar or storage container.  Add chestnuts and let stand until cool.  Refrigerate at least one week before serving.  Chestnuts are delicious over ice cream or rolled in sugar and eaten as a truffle.