Instructions: *Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, etc.

Chop each chestnut in half with a cleaver or heavy knife (lay them flat side down on a cutting board for easy chopping.) Place the nuts in a saucepan, add water to cover by 1", and bring them to a boil over high heat. Boil the nuts, uncovered, 3 minutes, then drain them. Pry or pop the halves out of the shells. The skin will usually remain in the shell; scrape off any bits that adhere to the nuts. Halve each piece.

Return nuts to the rinsed-out saucepan; add the skin of one tangerine and enough cold water to cover the nuts. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower heat, and simmer the nuts gently, partly covered, until they are translucent, about 1 hour. If necessary, add more boiling water to keep the nuts covered. Using a slotted spoon, lift the nuts from the cooking liquid, leaving any scum behind. Discard the liquid and peel.

Combine the sugar, water and remaining tangerine peel in the rinsed-out saucepan; bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer the syrup 10 minutes, then add the chestnuts. Bring the syrup to a boil again, then lower heat and simmer the chestnuts, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the pieces of zest; return the sauce to boiling and simmer it for 3 minutes.

Ladle the nuts and syrup into a sterilized storage jar and add orange liqueur. Cover the jar, shaking it to mix everything, then cool and refrigerate. The flavor improves for several weeks. Stores for up to a year in the refrigerator.

The author suggests spooning this sauce into stemmed glasses and topping it with lightly whipped cream, or serving it as an ice cream topping.

Yield: About 2 1/2 cups.

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