Nat King Cole crooning that first line from “The Christmas Song” sends holiday vibes buzzing wherever you are. But have you smelled, tasted or even seen a freshly roasted chestnut? Until a few years ago, I hadn’t either. And I’m not alone. My fascination with chestnuts started with Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Overstory,” which begins with the tragic tale of the American chestnut tree. In the eastern portion of America, chestnut trees grew in cities, on mountainsides and on plains. Billions of chestnut trees occupied a critical role in the ecosystem, economy and culinary traditions of the region. Chestnut timber was used to build fences, homes and furniture. Chestnut roasting vendors set up on street corners, and customers savored their sweet flavor throughout the festive season and beyond. Then it all changed. In the late 1800s, a virulent chestnut blight reached American shores, and by 1940, it killed an estimated 4 billion trees, virtually wiping them off the continent. Only a handful of uninfected trees remained. This blight changed the makeup of woodlands — and holiday habits — forever. The aroma of roasted chestnuts all but vanished from domestic street corners. But chestnuts didn’t disappear. While the American species suffered, various types of chestnut trees grew across Europe and Asia, where people continued to relish them. Some American farmers still grew blight-resistant European and Asian varieties, and we began to import more from abroad. Nowadays, the United States accounts for less than 1% of the world’s chestnut production, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. We import more than 3,000 metric tons of chestnuts per year. The domestic chestnut industry has grown quickly in the past few decades, though it relies on European and Asian varieties. Michigan now produces more chestnuts than any other state and has the largest chestnut growers cooperative. Roger Blackwell, a Michigan chestnut farmer and head of sales for the cooperative Chestnut Growers Inc., noted that since the ’90s there has been a concerted effort to grow the state’s chestnut industry. Blackwell remarked that the blight-resistant European and Asian chestnut varieties grow well in places where fruit trees such as peaches and cherries do, making Michigan an ideal location. Plus, it’s a sustainable, relatively easy crop to tend. Although the industry has grown, Blackwell says they cannot keep up with the demand for nuts. The biggest demand, he says, comes from customers who still have a taste for chestnuts — primarily immigrants from across Europe and East Asia. But other folks are discovering the deliciousness of chestnuts thanks to chefs, bakers and chestnut enthusiasts like Sasha Sherman. Sherman launched The Great Chestnut Experiment to revive America’s love for chestnuts through a chestnut-focused stall at the Bryant Park Holiday Market in New York City and an online store. He wants to weave these nuts back into our culture through a warm, cozy, delicious experience best shared with others. The stall offers freshly roasted chestnuts, warming, a spiced “Chestnog” drink, a classic take on the French Mont Blanc pastry, and a brown butter chestnut cake, which inspired my recipe below. They ring a bell when someone tastes their first chestnut. I rang my own bell when I roasted chestnuts for the first time last year and couldn’t stop eating them as I pried their shells off. Fresh out of the oven, they’re sweet and creamy, more starchy than fatty, and have a flavor reminiscent of sweet potato and sweet corn, with notes of nutmeg and the texture of a chickpea. Blackwell calls them the “un-nut” since they differ from most other nuts and are packed with nutrients. Their subtly sweet yet complex flavor stands on its own, and chestnuts fit snugly into sweet and savory dishes. Today, I have three recipes that build on one another. First, I slow-roast chestnuts. Second, I transform roasted chestnuts into a sweetened chestnut cream that can be spread on toast or spooned right into your maw. Finally, I use that chestnut cream to make a festive chestnut Bundt cake drizzled with chocolate glaze — a perfect conversation-starter dessert for a holiday gathering. Roasted Chestnuts Roasted Michigan chestnuts. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) After testing a dozen ways of cooking chestnuts, this slow-roasting method, recommended by Sasha Sherman of The Chestnut Experiment, won me over. Michigan chestnut grower Roger Blackwell suggested adding a pan of water to the oven to keep a steamy environment, resulting in creamier chestnuts. Prep time: 90 minutes Yield: About 250 to 300 g peeled, roasted chestnuts Ingredients: 450 g (1 pound) whole chestnuts 3 cups water Directions: 1. Look over the chestnuts and discard any with holes in them or that feel very soft when squeezed. Rinse the chestnuts. 2. Score a large “X” on the round side of each chestnut where the equator would meet the prime meridian. Be sure you get through the tough outer skin. I like to use sharp kitchen scissors. 3. Put the scored chestnuts in a large heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water from the sink. Let them soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour. 4. Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack on the middle level and a loaf pan or cake pan on it. When the oven is heated, drain the chestnuts, place them cut-side-up on a sheet pan, and put them in the oven. Add about 2 cups of hot water to the loaf pan or cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. If the pan of water dries out during baking, add another cup or so. 5. Dunk a clean kitchen towel in water, ring it out, and lay it on the counter. Dump the chestnuts onto the towel, then wrap them up. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then peel and enjoy them while they’re still warm. Or serve them right away as peel-and-eat nuts with friends. They peel much more easily while warm. Chestnut Cream Martin Sorge’s chestnut cream which includes pureed Michigan chestnuts, sugar, vanilla and armagnac. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A popular French spread, this version of crème de marrons requires little time to prepare. Freshly roasted and peeled chestnuts bestow the best flavor, but you can easily find packaged roasted and peeled chestnuts at many supermarkets or online. This recipe works just as well with both. Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 450 g (about 1½ cups) Ingredients: 250 g peeled, roasted chestnuts 227 g (1 cup) water 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar 50 g (1/4 cup) light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract) 1 tablespoon Armagnac or dark rum Directions: 1. Roughly chop the chestnuts and add them to a small saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to medium, cover, and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until you can crush a piece of chestnut against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. 2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, the seeds from the vanilla bean, the empty pod (or vanilla extract) and Armagnac, then bring back to a boil until the sugar completely dissolves. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then remove the vanilla pod. 3. Transfer this mixture to a food processor or blender and process for about 4 to 5 minutes until it has the consistency of mostly smooth peanut butter. If it feels too firm, add one tablespoon of water. 4. Transfer to an airtight container and let cool completely. Refrigerate until needed for up to 1 week. Chestnut & Brown Butter Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze Martin Sorge’s chestnut and brown butter pound cake adorned with chocolate glaze and chopped chestnuts. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) The hefty dose of luscious chestnut cream combined with nutty brown butter bestows a hearty, subtle, comforting flavor of chestnuts and also gives the cake the perfect tender, velvet-like crumb. The dash of booze amps up the holiday vibes. Best of all, you make it in the food processor, and it comes together in no time. A drizzle of simple chocolate ganache turns it into a perfect centerpiece for your holiday celebrations. Prep time: About 2 hours, plus cooling time Yield: Serves 10 to 14 Ingredients: For the cake: 200 g (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 227 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter 200 g (1 cup) sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 400 g chestnut cream, room temperature 4 large eggs, room temperature 2 tablespoons Armagnac or dark rum (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract) Directions: 1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the lower-middle position. Generously coat the inside of a large bundt pan with softened butter. 2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. 3. Brown the butter: Put the pan over medium heat. The butter will melt, then bubble. Once the bubbles subside a bit and the butter gets quiet (yes, listen), turn the heat to medium-low and stir with a heatproof spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, but rely on your senses. You want deeply golden brown, but not burnt, little bits on the bottom of the pan. You may have to scoot away bubbles to see down to the bottom. It will smell toasty and nutty. Remove from the heat and set aside. 4. Add the sugar, salt, chestnut cream and eggs in a food processor and blend for about 10 seconds until well mixed. Scrape down the side of the food processor and add the Armangac or rum. With the food processor running, drizzle in the hot browned butter, including the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Top the food processor and pour the mixture into a large bowl. 5. Sift half of the dry mixture onto the wet mixture and whisk until it’s about halfway mixed in. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until just barely combined. Avoid overmixing. 7. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed in the thickest part and a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs attached, for 40 to 50 minutes. 8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it onto a wire rack and cool completely. For the chocolate ganache glaze: Ingredients: 90 g chopped semisweet chocolate, ideally around 60% 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional, for the silkiest, shiniest glaze) 115 g (about 1/2 cup) heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped roasted chestnuts for garnish Directions: 1. Combine the butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. 2. Combine the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof measuring cup. 3. Bring the cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate in a small saucepan. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then add the vanilla and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth ganache. Let the ganache cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it has the texture of thick honey. 4. Set a cooling rack onto a piece of parchment paper to catch any drips. Set the cake on the rack, then pour the ganache over it, encouraging it to drip down the sides. 5. Garnish the top with chopped roasted chestnuts. 6. Let the ganache cool, then serve. The cake lasts, covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days. Martin Sorge is a freelance writer.