Chestnut soup

I found a recipe on the internet for chestnut soup and made a small batch tonight - my own adaption.  It's really good!  The reason I only cooked a small amount was because peeling them was such a nuisance.  Even with the help of a neighbour, my fingers were sore.  I wonder if there is an easier way?  Mind you, I didn't see the bit in the recipe that said to pour 1/4 cup of water on the tray before baking the chestnuts so I just roasted them dry like I usually do.  I wonder if it makes the peeling easier.  I might have to try that.  I also didn't have anything to put the cloves/bay leaf in so I just added them to the pot and picked them out before blending the soup.


So here is my version.

Ingredients

• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 cereal bowl of roasted, peeled chestnuts
• ½ a chopped onion
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup light cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. To Cook Chestnuts: With a sharp knife, slice an 'X' across each chestnut. Place chestnuts in a single layer on a  tray. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan. Bake in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shell and peel.
2. In a saucepan combine the chicken stock, shelled chestnuts and onion. Place the parsley, cloves and bay leaf in a spice bag and add to the saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
3. Discard the spice bag and puree the chestnut mixture in a food processor or blender. Add the cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Return mixture to saucepan and gently heat through.