September Bon Appetit- Chestnut Coffee Cake

I've noticed that Americans don't eat a lot of chestnuts. That's fine, I guess, because I don't have strong feelings either way. Frankly, I never gave the chestnut a thought until I decided that I was going to make this recipe for a chestnut coffee cake from September's Bon Appetit.

It was ok. It was moist, but not Ina's sour cream coffee cake moist. I didn't love it, but since I'm a human being I cut myself a big wedge and had it with breakfast.

 

I took the rest of it to work, and as I started apologizing for the fact that it wasn't my best effort, I shut up. It's a complementary baked good. It's good enough. 

Does anyone have a better idea for what to do with chestnuts? I know nobody has a better coffee cake recipe than Ina's. It is a longtime favorite and is positively one of the most delicious, most cinnamony and strusely cakes I've ever had. Because, of course, Ina is the one true queen.

And her beef bourguignone is what you should eat for dinner tonight.