Mont Blanc Dessert

Mont Blanc is a traditional Parisian and Italian pastry dish.

The name Mont Blanc is named after the highest mount in the alps and translates to ‘white mountain’ as this dish typically resembles a snow capped mountain. This dessert incorporates chestnut puree and whipped cream, making a tasty dish.

Chestnut Purée:

• 1.5kg fresh Y.V Fresh chestnuts

• 1 vanilla bean

• 3/4 cup of water

• 1/3 cup of sugar

For the Filling:

• 200g of chestnut purée (ingredients above)

• 100g of butter

• 1 ½ Whipped double cream

• 2 tbsp rum

For the pastry:

• 200g of plain flour

• 100g of butter

• 50g of sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• Pinch of Salt

Method for Purée:

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius

2. Peel the chestnuts and place the chestnuts in a shallow ovenproof dish.

3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin dries and peels off easily. Rub the nuts into a rough clean cloth or hand towel to remove the inner skins.

4. Place peeled and skinned nuts in a saucepan. Cover with water and add the vanilla bean.

5. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chestnuts are very tender. Remove the vanilla bean.

6. Drain the chestnuts well and add to a food mill or food processor. Purée until smooth.

7. When the syrup is cool, add 1/4 cup of syrup at a time into the chestnut pureé to make it thin enough to pipe it through a pastry bag but still thick enough to hold its shape

Method for Pastry:

1. To create the pastry first combine the flour with the cubed, cold butter in a bowl. Mix together with your hands and when crumbly, add the egg yolk, sugar, a pinch of salt and three tablespoons of cold water.

2. Once the ingredients have been well combined, cover with foil and place the bowl in the fridge for at least an hour.

3. Remove from the fridge and place the pastry on a floured board, then roll it out until it is about 3-4mm thick.

4. Cut around 10 equal round pieces and arrange these in small tartlet moulds, then place in the oven, pre-heated to 180 ° C, for about 8-10 minutes, or until they start to brown.

Method to Assemble:

1. For the filling, using a hand mixer combine the chestnut purée with soft butter and rum.

2. Spoon some whipped double cream on top of each pastry piece, then put the chestnut filling mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle (3 to 4 mm) and finally coat the whipped cream with vermicelli of chestnut puree.