Imbuljuta

This a traditional Maltese dish at Christmas time – perfect to warm you up after the winter sun sets. It’s chocolatey, orangey, spicy and earthy all at the same time.

For imbuljuta (im-bull-yew-ta) you need dried chestnuts (a couple of handfuls) which need to be soaked overnight. Once soaked, clean any skin off, give the chestnuts a rinse, and put in a pan with around a litre of water.

Put the pan on the heat and add the following ingredients to make the tasy hot chocolate that the chestnuts are served in:
– 2 tbs of brown sugar
– 2 tbs of cocoa powder
– 50g dark chocolate
– 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp ground ginger
– the peel of 1 mandarin (or clementine/orange)

Bring to the boil, ensuring that the sugar and chocolate melt, and simmer for 40mins – 1hr, until the chestnuts are soft and cooked. Serve warm, like a hot chocolate with a spoon for eating the chestnuts.