Marrons Glacés
Put the chestnuts on the fire in cold water, boil 5 minutes, take them out, and while hot strip them of their outer and inner skins. Put them in a big saucepan containing a syrup of the proportion of ½ lb. of sugar to 1 quart water and 1 teaspoonful of butter, when they come to the boiling point remove to the back of the stove. Use a large quantity of the syrup to the quantity of chestnuts. This syrup should diminish very slowly. When it has become very thick take out the chestnuts and drain them, add a little vanilla to the syrup. Now pour boiling water over the chestnuts to remove the syrup which covers them. Dry them well. Beat the thick syrup until it is opaque, then roll the dry chestnuts in it; remove with a skimmer and let them dry on a sieve.
Prunes may be treated in the same way.