Mont-Blanc

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

4 egg whites

200g caster sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornflour

For the whipped cream:

300ml of full-fat liquid cream (very cold)

2 tablespoons icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chestnut cream:

300g chestnut cream

150g unsweetened chestnut puree

2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Instructions:

Preparation of the meringue:

Preheat the oven to 120°C (gas mark 4). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites with the vinegar or lemon juice until stiff. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat until you get a shiny and firm meringue.

Gently fold in the cornflour with a spatula.

Form individual discs of meringue onto the baking sheet, about 6 to 8 cm in diameter.

Bake for 1h15 to 1h30 until the meringues are crispy. Let cool completely.

Preparation of the whipped cream:

Whip the cold liquid cream into a whipped cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you get a stiff cream. Set aside in the fridge.

Preparation of the chestnut cream:

Mix the chestnut cream with the chestnut puree and possibly the rum until you get a homogeneous paste.Place this preparation in a piping bag fitted with a nozzle with small holes to form the vermicelli characteristic of Mont-Blanc.

Assembly:

Place a meringue on each plate.Garnish generously with whipped cream.

Poach the chestnut cream, forming sprinkles that cover the whipped cream, creating the appearance of a "Mont-Blanc".

Decoration (optional):

Sprinkle with icing sugar for a snowy effect or add candied chestnut chips for even more indulgence.

History of Mont-Blanc:

Here’s where history becomes murky. There are three schools of thought - and they are vastly different.

The first theory claims that it was created sometime in the Middle Ages, in the Kingdom of Savory. There’s even a myth about it being the favorite of the infamous Borgia family. There have been claims of a recipe of a similar dish made with pureed chestnuts appearing in the first Italian cookbook (Bartolomeo Platina’s De Honesta Voluptate) dated circa 1475, but no such dessert seems to be among Platina’s recipes. This theory seems the least likely out of the three: more of a legend than anything rooted in truth.

The second theory claims that the dessert was invented about a hundred years later, again, in Italy, with the recipe appearing in the famous Italian Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi’s magnum opus Opera dell’Arte del Cucinare (circa 1570) and then reaching France in the 1620s. Again, no documented proof that this theory is correct has been found.

The third theory claims that the Mont Blanc dessert as we know it now is a 19th-century invention. Those who support this theory argue that while chestnuts had been a staple ingredient in regions where they’re abundant, until the 19th century, they were primarily treated as savory food. There are multiple recipes for chestnut porridge, soups, and even side dishes but few, if any, for desserts. Mont Blanc, not only distinctly sweet itself but decorated with another sweet ingredient, was a distinct step away from the usual ways chestnuts were used. Supporters of this theory claim that it was more likely built upon another dessert, itself invented in the 19th century. Compote de Marrons en Vermicelle, a sweet chestnut dessert made by pressing the puree through a seave to make vermicelli, is considered a precursor for the classic Mont Blanc aux Marrones. Compote de Marrons en Vermicelle was not decorated with other ingredients.