Chestnut & Date Loaf - An Experimental Recipe (Success)

[@AtomicShrimp]

*Afterthoughts & Addenda* - The loaf didn't keep particularly well. It is best kept wrapped in a bag, or in an airtight container, and eaten within a day or two of baking. This wasn't a massive burden as it was delicious - but the piece left in the bag on the fourth day was a little on the dry side (revived by warming it slightly).

[@AlissaSss23]

Please, please, please, could you share that link for the dehydrator again??? Frank you

[@nobodygrognak3087]

a lot of calories tho

[@Lar411]

@@nobodygrognak3087 Nobody said this was going to be a low-calorie cake. Cakes usually tend to have a lot of calories.

[@nobodygrognak3087]

@@Lar411 I wish that weren't true because the cake looks great

[@HoopleBogart]

I'd enjoy every single calorie.

[@EddieEggman]

You must be who the original founders of KZbin had in mind as a creator. Sharing your hobbies, interests and most importantly, knowledge, with the world. You really have mastered the art of curiosity, thank you for continuing to share!

[@WowzaTalent]

I couldn’t agree more

[@dneli1100]

Made me chuckle!… “if you don’t like dates, you can use raisins if u don’t like raisins idk how to help you”😂

[@chellagirl3664]

My grandmother used to buy a date nut bread in a can. It was made by Dromedary, but is no longer available/produced. She would slice it and toast it and spread cream cheese on it. I believe the recipe was made with walnut pieces. Your recipe made me think about that product and all the times I had it with my grandmother. 🙂

[@абобус337-ш2с]

the only thing this video makes me feel is happiness

[@sofie6066]

Oh, those roasted chestnuts. My old neighbour, a little Chinese nanny often made sugar fried chestnuts in a big iron wok in the garden at weekend. All the kids living in the same street would be drawn to her house by the amazing smell. We always got away with a handful of chestnuts wrapped in newspaper. How nostalgic.

[@vigorousorange6081]

I made this recipe tonight and 1) the house now smells divine and 2) I’ve already eaten half of it, still warm, with lashings of butter. Great flavour, thanks for sharing, and I’ll definitely be making this again!

[@explorer6607]

My grandma was wondering how to keep chestnuts from exploding when cooked and this recipe seems like something she likes perfect timing

[@jimmyrustler8983]

You can use kitchen scissors to snip an X in the top to speed it up too. 🤙

[@polterzzzzzzzz]

Make a cross on top of the chestnut (smooth curved part) with a knifd, let them soak for an hourish in water and then roast. The shell then becomes also very easy to break off.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

Hello Explorer's grandma

[@raraavis7782]

I second soaking them. Really helps

[@explorer6607]

@@marcogenovesi8570 she said hello haha

[@sweettthings]

I recently rediscovered a forgotten bag of Italian chestnuts after the holidays and made a chestnut and mushroom risotto, which was quite successful. I wish they were forage-able in the US, although I have been reading a lot lately about hybrid trees becoming available which aren't subject to the blight which destroyed most of the North American chestnut trees a hundred years ago.

[@penny1186]

My grandmother taught me to put a cross in the chestnuts 50 years ago. It works great

[@PeterCamberwick]

I could hear the reserved, yet unmistakable joy and pride of the artist, when you took it out of the oven and realised it had worked out just the way you wanted it. :) Lovely to hear. :)

[@lizadams7662]

This loaf, toasted and buttered, would be a marvelous breakfast. Noting it.

[@sharkinahat]

Might sound crazy, but you can add a shredded carrot or two to the mix to get a more moist cake. Also cloves - cloves + cinnamon + nutmeg = best cake spice mix ever.

[@k8eekatt]

Mmmmm pumpkin spicey

[@Lreclusa]

So I add the cloves then take them out?

[@sharkinahat]

@@Lreclusa Crush them to a fine-ish dust using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder.

[@MamguSian]

@@sharkinahat Or buy ground cloves?

[@sharkinahat]

@@MamguSian Thy come pre-ground now? What next? Sliced cheese? Instant ramen? Frozen pizza? Madness...

[@brianartillery]

The 'cross cut' method for sweet chestnuts is suggested by Richard Mabey, in his seminal foraging book, 'Food For Free'. He also, rather mischieviously, says to keep an uncut nut with the others. When it explodes, the nuts are done. Chestnuts explode with some vigour, as I have seen for myself. Were one to follow Mr Mabey's uncut nut advice, there's a good chance you'd be picking nut shrapnel out of your kitchen, and possibly yourself, for a long time afterwards. I believe that the writer of 'A Country Harvest' mentions cutting crosses in the nuts, too. I always watch your food videos at the wrong time - just after I've eaten - and your videos always make me hungry! Your cake is no exception. Thanks for sharing. Nice one.

[@miecraftandmoregames]

chestnuts and sweet potato are peak october / fall food. Here in catalonia (spain) we have a special holiday for it called "Castanyada" were we eat lots of them. and we also have many little stands all over the place with grandmas and grandpas roasting them, they are delicious.

[@Tsnafu]

That looks lovely. I like "wing it" cakes containing anything I can find that needs using up. I made a banana/oat/mixed fruit/ground almond/treacle and ginger cake the other week that was so good I wish I had weighed everything so I could recreate it, but I never remember so each cake is different

[@filmnobelpreis]

You gotta record this.

[@Tsnafu]

@@filmnobelpreis No, unlike Mike I'm not comfortable in front of a camera, but I took a picture i.imgur.com/YXsf9Tk.jpg

[@MamguSian]

That's my kind of baking! 😃

[@bittehiereinfugen7723]

@@Tsnafu Too bad you didn't weigh the ingredients. Because according to the description, it was a very interesting, delicious cake that I would like to try 🙃 Please please scrape your memories together, it doesn't have to be exact to the gram. Sometimes I spontaneously cook and bake things that my family often (not always 😅) like, but I forget to write down the "recipe" every time. Last weekend I was in the "baking madness" and spontaneously stirred together a kind of carrot cake. The people I served this cake to, liked it so much that I had to write down what I put in it. So at least I now have the recipe for my spontaneous cake creation. Please ☺️ what did you put in your cake and baked at what temperature for how long?

[@Koneko_Chan777]

@@Tsnafu it's alright, I'm sure you can make another cake that's even more delicious next time! And maybe weigh the ingredients too haha

[@HotelPapa100]

Sweet chestnuts are a staple food in Ticino, the southernmost canton (state) of Switzerland. For roasting, they usually cut just one slit across the chestnut's back with a dedicated short reverse curved blade. If you have a mushroom knife that should work.

[@inkenhafner7187]

If you collect another basket of chestnuts I can highly recommend a chestnut roast. It also contains hazelnuts or almonds, any mushrooms you've got at hand and a few more things. I usually make it for our xmas family meal, originally for the one vegetarian in the family, but usually the omnis help themselves to a slice, too. I have the recipe in German but could translate it if anybody is interested.

[@italiana626sc]

Yes please, if you don't mind!

[@inkenhafner7187]

@@italiana626sc I'll see that I can put it here latest by tomorrow.

[@MamguSian]

I'd love the recipe too - I'll look out for it. Thanks so much

[@gnomoblu8015]

Yes please, sounds quite interesting!

[@WaddedBliss]

I love a nut roast.

[@likebot.]

Your recipe-making helps build my kitchen confidence. My bride doesn't have an adventurous palate but that doesn't stop me enjoying new things.

[@jimmyrustler8983]

I'd bet that smelled amazing when baking. 👍 Sweet chestnut porridge is an easy recipe to make, apparently it was a staple food of the Roman legion.

[@gabriellechung356]

Love your tablecloth and dinnerware patterns, it’s comforting and homey!

[@black_platypus]

What a lovely autumn appreciation loaf! 😊 Makes me want to curl up with a piece of that and some tea, wrapped in a blanket (me, not the loaf or the tea) in my reading nook by the window. And I don't even like tea or have a reading nook by a window, so much does this excite me about cozy, rustic autumn stuff 😊

[@MinistryOfMagic_DoM]

Love me a good late evening cooking video. I love the variety on your channel Mr Shrimp. Been enjoying it for years and it never gets old.

[@Howdy606]

This page just gets better and better. Think this is my favourite KZbinr. So down to earth and easy to take in. I will be attempting this loaf at some point.

[@IanSlothieRolfe]

This has made me want some of my Mums spiced bread pudding which looks like it has a similar texture - Crusty outside with moist, spicy inside. I think she put in ground almonds or something because it had an obvious nutty taste that most bread puddings miss. I've always wondered about foraged chestnuts, noone seems to do it now but my grandparents used to refer to it as a sort of family tradition when I was a child. Perhaps the trees are rarer these days.

[@raraavis7782]

Chestnuts (both types) used to be much more common in both North America and Europe. A fungal disease called 'chestnut blight' wiped out a lot of trees, though. A great shame. Commercially grown chestnuts are just too expensive for anything but a rare treat, here. But I personally know only one spot, where a couple grow wild and they draw so many people...chances of actually being able to collect some are slim.

[@Pwecko]

My dad used to take me and my brother to the woods in the autumn to collect chestnuts. We used to cut a cross in the top of each one as well. I love the taste of roasted chestnuts, with a sprinkling of salt. It was a real treat, because it was a once-a-year experience, at best.

[@notesbyluna]

I imagine this would be good with a cup of coffee on a cold morning! Looking great!

[@alexandrastevens8892]

tea please 😃

[@dherokbattleborn]

Never eaten or seen a chestnut in my life before. That chestnut cake looks delicious though; I’d love to have a slice of it. Makes me think I need to learn more about chestnuts and where to find them if I even can

[@violetvillard1347]

Hi, a new viewer here. I found you thru my fascination with the State's $1 US for 1 Day Meals. You were a suggested video with your 1 Pound for 1 Day Meals. Then I watched your playlist of budget videos. The most fascinating thing I found with your videos are your local foraging. I was raised on a cattle/pig/chicken farm but did have a family garden. I wasn't taught how to forage & I find it so intriguing. I wonder if I'd be able to do it here in the States in my wheelchair. (Massive stroke survivor & now wheelchair bound and homebound.) Anyways, thank you so much for your many videos. I've learned so much from you. 1 quick question. You refer to Elder Flowers, but they look like what my mom called Queen Ann's Lace. Are they the same flower?

[@ciderbandit2909]

Queen Ann's lace is a wild carrot , elder flowers grow on an elder tree so they're very different

[@violetvillard1347]

@@ciderbandit2909: Thanks!! I wasn't sure cos they looked the same, and they could be different here in the States. Very good to know. Thanks again. 😊

[@cippocane6040]

Here in Liguria we have a thing called castagnaccio witch is basically a fattened fried version of this. Good work Shrimp, as always 👍

[@somethinginnocuousindahouse]

I can only imagine how lovely your kitchen smelled when baking that cake

[@Clarence_13x]

This just reminds me of how neglectful I’ve been at foraging this season. There’s surprisingly good forage here in Boston.

[@alexandrastevens8892]

I love date and walnut cake and think this would have the same texture. It's not possible I know but sometimes when I'm watching your videos of unusual, experimental cooking I swear I can actually smell it. I am getting hungry just watching, thank you 😊

[@Merlin86UK]

Delicious looking loaf!

[@foorje]

My mother always uses desiccated coconut in and on the outside of her spiced cakes. I bet this has a similar texture to that, looks lovely.

[@lii8406]

this looks amazing, definitely going to try it! i've never seen chestnut trees but i'm going to keep an eye out for them for some future foraging

[@karloslowry9043]

Love waking up to a AS video 👌

[@pamaroonie1]

That looks delicious! I live in a desert, so chestnut is not something that I naturally grew up with. I believe I can buy them tinned, so I am absolutely going to do a search for them. I adore quick breads, and this reminds me of our staple autumn banana, or pumpkin or cranberry breads. It would be nice to try something new. Congratulations on your success! ❤

[@DeathMetalDerf]

This looks great. I know a lot of the time you'll hear people talk about how baking is more of an exact science than something one does by feel so to speak. However I love doing things like this, and just improvise based off of a recipe I'd usually follow to the letter. Sometimes it doesn't work but sometimes it does, and those are always something special! Thanks for another interesting video. I'll need to give this a try sometime!

[@markrobinson3555]

I’ve just popped my own in the oven (only made with chia seeds to replace the egg and raisins instead of dates) I’ll let you know how it turns out 😀

[@HendrikOutdoor]

Along with preventing them from exploding, it also seems to make peeling the chestnuts much easier once they've opened up a little around the cut.

[@JumbaFan]

I think I found a new Christmas tradition! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

[@jayhawker931]

Man i love this content, to be honest i first started watching your videos because of the scambating stuff but then one day i decided to watch one of your food challenges and had a second binge of your food and cooking content. Now because of your videos i am actually trying cooking and have tried to make some of your recipients (not as good obviously). Keep up the good work!!!

[@jimmerd]

I made this today and it tastes (and smells) amazing! Highly recommend trying it yourself

[@yikes7607]

Wow, the cake looks delicious and comforting. I didn't know there was another spice from the same nutmeg plant. About the bad eggs, I was told two ways of testing them: one is submerging the egg in water and if it sinks it's good, if it floats it's gone bad; the other way is shaking it a bit and trying to listen or feel if the yoke inside is too loose or hitting the shell, because in that case the egg is gone bad.

[@SuperDolly64]

Lovely-usually do Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon for xmas lunch side, once...and only once I bought fresh chestnut smelled gorgeous when cooking, but I found it almost impossible and decided never to do it again!! but this method might just change my mind - thanks!

[@bexp748]

Me and my mum used to go to oxshott woods to get chestnuts and putting a cross through the top was exactly what to do to roast them. Pealing was a chore and the fingers would get sore but my oh my it was so worth it. Absolutely love eating chestnuts. Thank you for another awesome video. I find your videos informative and grounding. You're a lovely guy 🖒

[@samhenwood5746]

This looks delicious & thanks for the recipe 😋👍Thanks Atomic shrimp 🤗👍

[@DarkDreamsAndMoonlitNights]

I love your recipes. Best regards to you and Mrs Shrimp.

[@dkutlay1282]

Hey Shrimp! Could you one day please give us acorn recipes too? Even if they don’t succeed, I’d love to see. Learning about the start and spread of farming in history class and how acorns and pistachios were so important to the first major sedentary societies of the Fertile Crescent!

[@Mintstar_Oceanpop]

A friend of ours brought us some chestnuts this week. We usually boil and eat them, but I took a few handfuls and made this today. It's cooling down now, but I took a little nibble from one of the edges. Very tasty! Looking forward to having it for desert later. Only change I did was put some fresh ground nutmeg in place of the mace. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

[@littlespinycactus]

'Singing chestnuts'! You have such a charming turn of phrase.

[@Zeoooooooo]

My Mum makes Date and Walnut loaf all the time and it's my favourite. This looks just like it... Sweet, malty and nutty deliciousness. When it starts to go dry we put butter on it to give it a bit more moisture. This sounds like something I'd have to try, I like the idea of the spices in there. ☺

[@nishadhadha447]

Really enjoyed watching the recipe, will give it a try! Thank you

[@ChrisComley]

Excellent! We have a sweet chestnut tree. It's not very old and most years the fruit don't swell inside the casing. But when it does, I hate to waste them, so always looking for ideas. We will be trying this next time we have a viable crop!

[@jamesadamson5084]

Me and my partner recently took a week away and inspired by this channel I did some baking, a little rough and tumble, especially the home made pasta but great fun

[@rmil4531]

Oh my, that looks fabulous. I love chestnuts and dates. I’d have had the end slice… I bet you did. I also couldn’t have resisted eating the chestnuts out the oven, very well disciplined.😊Thank you.

[@SincereSneakyy]

I made this today, it was legitimately the best sweet I've had in a while, since I'm a sucker for spices I bought 580g of chestnuts but after throwing out all the bad ones I only had 240g left so I used almond meal to substitute the rest of it. It still turned out great though! A little sweet for my liking though, I'd cut back on the sugar next time. But still so good. Thank you for the recipe

[@ismetyalimalatli7581]

My late granny had a chestnut...eerrrmmm dessert? Cake? Mousse?.. recipe. This video reminded me of that particular dish. I hope mom or aunty got it. Thanks for reminding me.

[@blockhead391]

made it last night and it came out so good!! i went heavier on the sugar (80g white and 80g brown) and heavy on the cinnamon and it's just so, so good. going to heat up a slice and have it with some butter now

[@tyleraustin5956]

loved that looks wonderful i love fruit bread like banana bread or lemon bread so this looks great with the chestnuts and dates and apples

[@thomasherzog86]

seems like it turned out fine, but usually one should beat the butter with the sugar first while mixing in the yolks. beat the eggwhites separately (add the salt here) and then fold the dates, flour/spices, chestnuts, white and batter together. the more air you get into it, the softer it will be.

[@sandrosliske]

That looks so good. Would live to see how it tastes slightly toasted with a bit of butter on it. Or maybe even something sweet like a little dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of honey.

[@debbiehenri345]

Oooooh! Looks and sounds lovely - and you have reminded me of a chestnut tree that I haven't checked on in ages! And if the chestnuts are worth having (large enough), then I will definitely make this one. I did try making Marrons Glace donkey's years ago, not at all successfully. These are my favourite sweet, but forbiddingly expensive.

[@maiyannah]

That looks delicious. Little early in my parts for edible chestnuts, but I'm going to have to have a forage when it comes time.

[@wass77]

very interesting Recipe thank you for sharing Mr Shrimp 👍

[@bettyir4302]

Excellent. We need taste-a-vision.

[@NoName-qh4nj]

This is in regards to the need for this recipe to be dairy free. I prefer soy over dairy milk but good quality soymilk is so dang expensive that I decided to try soy flour when enriching a dinner roll recipe. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups AP flour and 3/4 cup water so I mixed 1/4 cup soy flour (not kinako) with the fat and then gradually added boiling water to that to about the 1 cup line. I proofed the yeast while the soy mixture cooled, added extra sugar to the recipe (1/3 cup) and followed the recipe instructions from there. It has turned out great both times and I will continue to mess with it. I will end with this:I do enjoy how you approach recipes and life, keep at it and have a lovely day.

[@crazy_moon]

That looks lush! nice cup of tea/coffee i think would go nice with it.

[@scottbelcher9026]

What a great idea I think! I’m so glad it worked out!!! It seems like it would taste so good!!!

[@jpegsoup]

At the house I grew up in, we had a huge chestnut tree in the backyard. I remember helping my dad collect garbage bins full of chestnuts and my mom would roast them. I used to call the outer shells “pokey balls”. Thanks for the good memory :)

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

It looked delicious! Thank you for the video!

[@mizmysterious7311]

You should try this with molasses sugar. Or dark brown sugar, it compliments the dates and nuts very well. I recently made a Date and walnut cake.

[@LastofAvari]

A nice loaf and also thanks for the tip of how to cut chestnuts!

[@f00ky3w2oob]

man I should make this. I don't know why but buttered slices of spiced loaf are something I've only ever had at my grandparents, but delicious. thank you Mr Shrimp for some inspiration

[@cbrooke879]

I agree we are away in Norfolk and where we are seems so many Acorns and chestnuts at the moment. Mad for such a dry year!

[@motodevcam]

I've never been much of a "bakist" but I would be keen on trying this. It's right up my street. I bet it's fabulous with a bit of crumbly Cheshire cheese or some such!

[@Iceni_Paul]

Hmmm, I reckon a Chestnut meat-loaf would be a winner too. A bit like Christmas stuffing, perhaps with the addition of cranberries (or similar foraged hedgerow fruit, Sloes perhaps?), you’ve got me thinking now. 😉👍

[@AtomicShrimp]

That does sound lovely!

[@joykunjappu1745]

Hello, how do you distinguish horsechestnuts from sweet chestnuts here in munich i think the ones we have in the city might be all horsechestnuts but i can't tell the difference. edit: saw you linked a video about it, thank you!

[@jimmyrustler8983]

Horse chestnuts (or conkers) are larger, almost completely spherical, and don't have the tuft at the top. 👍

[@NicholasKonradsen]

Do you think it'd go well with some thin slices of mature cheddar cheese?

[@MamguSian]

There's only one way to find out ... (but I'm pretty sure I'd like it)

[@marthalorden8498]

Your recipe required about 1/2 cup of milk to make it a cake batter. You created a lovey quick bread instead. Delicious combo of dates and apples and chestnuts!

[@paulinedudley9656]

looks delicious like banana nut bread. i do have some dates that have been floating around the place for quite some time so I reckon I could have a go at something like this to use those up.

[@ShellyS2060]

" Pockets of sweetness" is a great title for something.

[@rdefaoite9413]

Wow! I’d love to try this! Impressive weight estimation skills by the way! 😊

[@MrFredstt]

This looks pretty good. Will have to try it myself

[@cahallo5964]

I would add cream on this as a topping instead of butter because I think it'd taste good, also I think I'd make the batter with tallow. I am neutral on the dried fruit but I think my wife would hate it. it looks good I might do it in the future.

[@WaddedBliss]

The trees are really strange this year. On some of them there aren't any pods on the lower branches but there are loads higher up. On others the lower branches have loads of ripe pods but only one nut in them. There's definitely fewer nuts this year, not a mast year in this part of Berkshire, that's for sure. Probably because the trees got stressed from the heat of the summer.

[@phill2065]

It honestly feels like something you’d get served at a Victorian, autumn themed, banquet (I don’t know why)

[@glennperry2108]

I make date and walnuts bread and butter pudding. It is my favourite way to make it.

[@normablake2748]

I like when you present recipes on your channel. ❤

[@Peet790]

I just came from wild foraging with a bag full of chestnuts as well! I think I'll just be roasting them, but the cake looks good too. I also found a large cauliflower mushroom (sparassis crispa), made soup out of it and it's delicious! Have you ever found and cooked with it?

[@AtomicShrimp]

Found a lovely cauliflower fungus today actually. I've eaten it before in a restaurant but this is the first time I've found one worth picking. It was lovely

[@deborahbranham-taylor6682]

Roasted chestnut soup is also a delicious use for chestnuts.

[@coryman125]

I love these sorts of videos, honestly. It's like all the wisdom of an Adam Ragusea recipe video, plus a healthy splash of experimentation, served in a very comfortable and relaxing format :)

[@Mintstar_Oceanpop]

Adam's videos greatly reduced any stress I used to feel with getting ingredients and measurements exact when making meals.

[@rosegreensummer]

in italy, cut cross then soak overnight then roast in a pan with holes right on the fire till pop or peels back quite a lot itself

[@SusanForeman1963]

We don't have chestnuts where I live, but I've just done this with acorns, and the only difference is that you have to soak the acorns beforehand to get the tannins out.

[@divaden47]

A random thought. I always cut a cross in the top of brussels sprouts before cooking. NO idea why. Just following Mum's instructions! 😀

[@LilA-zl6tf]

That looks delicious!

[@DoomSlayer_]

Looks fantastic ☺

[@ian-c.01]

That looks great but I wonder if it could be adapted to a savoury version and more of a nut roast type thing ? Obviously you wouldn't put fruit and sugar in for that but I've never used chestnuts in a nut loaf before and they would add more moisture than dried nuts but I might have to experiment with them some time.

[@KyleRDent]

Like a vegetarian 'meat' loaf? Yeah I could see that working. He did mention chestnut stuffing which is similar.

[@oz_jones]

Why not? Keep the tart apple, but add more savoury spices and/or oyster sauce or similar.

[@black_platypus]

9:52 Oh yeah, I've been on a couple of those