Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      pound         dried chestnuts -- soaked overnight
   1      cup           sugar
     1/8  teaspoon      lemon extract
   1      teaspoon      salt
     1/2  cup           brandy

Preparation:

Drain the soaked chestnuts and rinse. Place in a 2-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, covered, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain, reserving the water. Grind the chestnuts in a medium-size food processor until smooth. This will have to be done in two batches. Use some of the reserved liquid to get a smooth and very thick paste. Remove to a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients along with enough of the reserved water to make a puree of desired consistency. Heat gently for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. This recipe makes 2 cups of puree for use in desserts. Comments: You can buy this product already made from fresh chestnuts; it costs a fortune. This version will do you nicely for desserts and cake sauces and it will cost much less.