I’ve never tried to find these chestnuts outside of Chile, but they are available online. Amazon has a few options like this, but there must be other sellers–search for “chestnuts in syrup.” The puree is also available. (I also saw unsweetened chestnut puree online; this recipe is for the sweetened spread.) If you can’t find the spread, you can make it by pureeing the whole chestnuts with some of the syrup (or if you can only find the spread, then just eliminate the chopped chestnuts). Finally, note that in French, chestnuts prepared this way are called marrons confits and are not the same as the candied marrons glacés.

Chestnut ice cream

1  1/2 cups cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
4 egg yolks
1 cup chestnut spread
1/2 cup chopped sweetened chestnuts

Make an ice bath in a large bowl using ice and water. Place a medium bowl in the bath and then place a strainer over the bowl.

In a small pan, heat 1/2 cup of cream, the milk, the sugar, and the salt, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Lightly beat the egg yolks, then add just a drop or two of milk. Mix the milk into the eggs, then add another drop or so, continuing the process a couple more times until the eggs are tempered. Add the rest of the milk to the eggs, then pour the mixture back into the pan. Heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula. Pour the mixture through the strainer, whisk in the remaining 1 cup of cream and the chestnut puree, then stir until cooled. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or preferably overnight.

Transfer the ice cream base to an ice cream mixer and freeze according to the machine’s instructions. When the ice cream is just about ready, add in the chopped chestnuts.

Chocolate raspberry ice cream

1 cup strained raspberry puree (see below)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1  1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk

For the raspberry puree, I blended about 4 cups of fresh raspberries and then strained out the seeds (stir the puree in the strainer to help it pass through faster).

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to blend. The chocolate will clump around (and in) the whisk. Add about a half cup of the cream and continue whisking to blend in the chocolate–you may want to use a knife to push the seized chocolate out of the whisk. Unsweetened chocolate is not very cooperative, so it may take a little while (and a lot of whisking) to incorporate it into the cream. Add the remaining cream and the sugar and whisk to blend, heating until the sugar is dissolved into the cream. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the raspberry puree and the milk. Blend thoroughly to ensure that the chocolate is smoothly incorporated. Chill for at least two hours or overnight and then freeze in an ice cream maker per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Lavender-ginger ice cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
16 sprigs fresh lavender flowers
6 slices  ginger (about the size of a quarter)
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
pinch salt

Combine the cream, milk,  lavender, and ginger in a saucepan. Heat to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the cream, squeezing out the flowers to get all the cream. Return to the saucepan, add the sugar, then heat until the sugar is dissolved in the cream. Remove from the heat. Set a strainer over a clean bowl, then set that bowl over a larger bowl of ice water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and salt until the yolks lighten in color. Add just a few drops of the hot cream and whisk to temper the eggs. Gradually add the cream to the eggs, whisking after each addition of a few drops. Once the eggs are tempered (after a few additions), you can add the cream in a steady stream. Return the cream and egg mixture to the stove. Heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard starts to thicken. Pour the custard through the strainer, then stir over the ice bath until cool. Refrigerate until quite cold (at least a couple of hours or overnight) before freezing in an ice cream maker.

Coconut ice cream

1/2 cup whole milk
1 can (8.5 oz/240 g) coconut cream
Pinch salt
4 egg yolks
2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated coconut

Combine the milk, coconut cream, and salt in a small pan and heat, stirring to combine well. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl and set that over ice in a larger bowl. Set a strainer over the cream and set aside. In a small bowl, briefly whisk the egg yolks. Add just a few drops of the hot milk to temper the eggs, then a few more drops, whisking as you go until all the milk is added. Return the hot milk to the pan and heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the cream and whisk in the grated coconut, then continue stirring gently with the spatula until the mixture is cool. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight before freezing in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Peppermint chip ice cream

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup candy cane chips (from 5 or 6 medium-sized candy canes–the kind that are sold 12 to a box)

Whisk the eggs for one minute. Add the sugar and whisk for two more minutes, until the eggs turn light yellow in color. Add the cream, milk, and extract. Pour into an icecream maker and freeze according to the machine’s instructions. (Mine is electric, but requires ice and salt. I really, really want a fully automatic one… Maybe next Christmas?) When the ice cream is ready, fold in the candy cane chips.