• Like all candying, just with chestnuts. They need to be thoroughly cooked first before beginning the candying, they will not get any softer!
• Start with a 1:2 sugar-to-water syrup (it needs to be that low, otherwise the sugar won't start to osmosify!), then every day increase sugar by 50% for 3 days:
  • For example: start with 500 gr sugar, 1 l water, then increase by 250 gr per day
  • The syrup, of course, can be aromatised with vanilla or Scotch (highly recommended), for example.
  • On day 4, add 250 gr of glucose instead of sugar. This will prevent crystallisation.
• On day 5, take them out, leave them to dry a few hours.
• Then, with a few Tbsp. of the syrup and a truckload of powdered sugar, make icing. Cover the chestnuts in it, then put them for 1' in the convection oven at 200° to dry.

• Next time, though, I might try to candy them in Champagne syrup aromatised with star anise.

Currently I'm trying:

• Start with boiled beans.
• Make a 20° Brix syrup (750 gr water, 150 gr sugar). Leave them overnight.
• Add 150 gr sugar to bring to 30° Brix. Leave overnight.
• Now switch to rock sugar. Add 100 gr to bring to 40° Brix. Overnight.
• Add another 100 gr of rock sugar and 25 gr of rice starch syrup (54° Brix). Overnight.

• Here, it's different!
• Apply a thin layer of lightly beaten egg white, thinned with 10% water, or better still, thin gummi arabicum (let stand overnight to dissolve, 6 gr to 30 gr water). Either brush (I found a make-up brush is quite nice) or spray the back side of the flower.
• Sprinkle with normal sugar (not powdered, not blended). Don't sprinkle too much, lest you get a big cake. It can't be powdered sugar, but if you have superfine sugar, that'd be perfect. Normal caster sugar works, but it doesn't look as elegant.
• Let dry for about 15', then do the front side. Lay on a parchment paper front side up, and dry overnight.
• It's a nice sweet for autumn, when you have a 名残 for the flower's of summer.