Chestnuts Roasting in the (Toaster) Oven

Even though they're not quite romantically roasted on an open fire, roasting chestnuts in the toaster or regular kitchen oven really is the next best thing. I love using the toaster oven for its economy and simplicity. The hardest part of the whole thing is making an "X" cut on the the top and bottom of the shell to allow steam  from the encased nut to escape and prevent the chestnuts from exploding, which, from experience, is an aggressively sticky mess to deal with.

Other than making the cuts in the shell, roasting chestnuts in the kitchen is incredibly easy and fantastically flavorful, especially on a snowy day like the one happening right now in the Northeast.  Just this link for a complete step-by-step picture book recipe that shows how to select chestnuts and roast them in either a regular kitchen oven or toaster oven.