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Mont Blanc

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Mont Blanc

Cuisine:French

Course:Dessert

30m prep 50m cook 1h 20m ready

6 servings You can find many sophisticated versions of this dessert in pastry shops across France. The versions that follow are very simple and rustic: a mountain of chestnut puree topped with a snowy peak of whipped cream. You may also use 1 pound vacuum-packed, precooked chestnuts for this, in which case you do not need to cook them in milk. Simply begin with the sugar syrup step and proceed as directed.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 2 pounds unshelled chestnuts
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1
    • 1 cup cold heavy cream
    • (2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 to 4 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar, or 2 teaspoons honey, to taste)
    • (½ teaspoon vanilla)
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Beat in a large bowl (chill the bowl if your kitchen is very warm) with a hand mixer or balloon whisk or in a stand mixer set at medium-high speed, until stiff and billowy but not grainy: 1 cup cold heavy cream; (2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 to 4 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar, or 2 teaspoons honey, to taste); (½ teaspoon vanilla)
    2. Use immediately.
  • Bittersweet chocolate
  • 1
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 3 large egg yolks
    • 1 large egg
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups whole milk
    • (1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise)
    • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • (1 teaspoon vanilla)
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Whisk together in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth: ½ cup sugar; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 large egg yolks; 1 large egg; ¼ teaspoon salt
    2. Bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan: 1 ½ cups whole milk; (1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise)
    3. If using, remove the vanilla bean and set aside. Slowly pour half the hot milk over the egg mixture while whisking it constantly. Whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Immediately scrape the custard into a clean bowl and stir in: 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    4. If you used a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the pod and stir into the pastry cream. If you did not use vanilla bean, stir in, if desired: (1 teaspoon vanilla)
    5. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool, then refrigerate before using. This keeps, refrigerated, for up to 2 days. When ready to use, transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed until smooth and creamy.
  • 1 cup store-bought sweetened chestnut puree

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 2 pounds unshelled chestnuts
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Whipped Cream
  • Bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 ½ recipe Pastry Cream or Chocolate Pastry Cream
  • 1 cup store-bought sweetened chestnut puree

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Have ready: 2 pounds unshelled chestnuts

  2. Step 2.

    Cut an X on the flat side of each nut. Cook in a saucepan of boiling water to cover for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove a few nuts at a time and peel off the outer shell and inner membrane. Place the nuts in a medium saucepan with: 4 cups whole milk

  3. Step 3.

    Cook at a low simmer until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding the milk (or reserve it for another use). Bring to a simmer in another medium saucepan: 1 cup water; 1 cup sugar

  4. Step 4.

    Add the softened chestnuts and cook until the syrup is reduced and thick enough to coat the nuts, about 15 minutes. Cool until just warm and puree the chestnuts and syrup in a food processor until smooth. Press the chestnut paste through a ricer onto a serving plate in a big mound. Do not mash or compact the chestnuts. Prepare: Whipped Cream

  5. Step 5.

    Place the cream on the chestnut mound and let it flow down the sides. Chill well before serving. Just before serving, grate over the top: Bittersweet chocolate

  6. Step 6.

    And then, as our dear old French friend would have said, “I’d be so pleased, I would not thank the King to be my uncle.”

  7. Step 7.

    Mont Blanc is easier to make with store-bought sweetened chestnut puree, but because of its remarkable viscosity the puree needs to be lightened up before it will pass through a ricer. We like to use pastry cream for that purpose.

  8. Step 8.

    Prepare: ½ recipe Pastry Cream or Chocolate Pastry Cream

  9. Step 9.

    Allow the pastry cream to cool. Beat in a stand mixer on medium speed until loosened up: 1 cup store-bought sweetened chestnut puree

  10. Step 10.

    Gradually beat in ½ cup of the pastry cream, beating until the mixture is smooth. Press the chestnut mixture through a ricer onto a serving plate in a big mound. Top with whipped cream and chocolate as in version I.

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