Sweet Chestnut Confection
Yulran is a traditional Korean chestnut confection made by boiling chestnuts for 20 minutes, sieving the flesh until perfectly smooth, then kneading it with honey and ground cinnamon before shaping into bite-sized rounds. Pressing the boiled chestnut through a fine sieve eliminates any grainy bits, and the honey provides both moisture and binding strength so the confection holds its molded shape. Cinnamon adds a warm, aromatic dimension to the starchy, earthy sweetness of the chestnut, and a coating of ground pine nuts wraps each piece in an additional layer of mild nuttiness. Thin jujube slices placed on top as garnish contribute a pop of red color, and 15 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator firms the surface just enough that the confection can be picked up cleanly without sticking to the fingers.
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Instructions
- 1
Score chestnuts, boil for 20 minutes, and remove the inner flesh.
- 2
Press through a sieve and mix with honey, salt, and cinnamon.
- 3
Shape into bite-size balls and gently flatten for a neat form.
- 4
Coat each piece evenly with ground pine nuts.
- 5
Top with thin jujube slices as garnish.
- 6
Chill for 15 minutes in the fridge and serve cool.
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