Steps

• Score the chestnuts by making an incision in the shell, then place them in a saucepan and cover them generously with water.

  Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

  Once cooked, peel the chestnuts and remove the skin.

  Place them back in a clean saucepan.

  

• Add the milk to the chestnuts.

  

• Place the saucepan on the heat and bring to a boil.

  

• Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally at first, then continuously.

  

• The chestnuts should crumble, and the milk should become creamy.

  

• Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, sugar, and mix with a spatula.

  

• Add the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder.

  

• Mix well to incorporate all the cocoa and make the mixture homogeneous.

  

• Add the rum and mix.

  

• Blend everything with an immersion blender, a mixer, or a food mill.

  

• Once smooth and creamy, it’s ready. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes.

  

• Let’s prepare the sponge cake:

  You can make it while the cream cools or before, while the chestnuts are boiling.

  Cover the baking tray with wet and wrung-out parchment paper.

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Beat the eggs with the sugar until very stiff using electric whisks or a stand mixer (7 minutes).

  Add the oil and water and beat for another minute.

  

• Once the mixture is well beaten, fluffy, and frothy, add the sifted flour with the baking powder.

  

• Mix with a spatula from top to bottom and incorporate the flour a little at a time.

  

• Once all the flour is incorporated, spread the obtained mixture on the baking tray lined with parchment paper.

  

• Bake in the lower-middle part (the shelf just above the base) of the hot oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, it should turn golden.

  Once golden, remove from the oven and turn it over onto another sheet of parchment paper, remove the paper used for baking.

  Let it cool for a moment.

• After the resting time, the sponge cake is ready, and the chestnut cream is cold. Whip the cream until very stiff together with the sugar and vanilla.

  

• Cut 4 discs from the sponge cake with a 7 cm round cutter.

  

• Take 4 small plates (I used saucers) and place a sponge cake disc on each. Brush it with a little rum.

  

• Using a piping bag, form a nice dome of whipped cream on the disc (as shown in the picture).

  

• Put 1/4 of the chestnut cream in a potato masher.

  

• Squeeze the chestnut cream onto the cream, you should get a dome as shown in the picture. If there are any gaps in the cream, adjust with a fork.

  

• Prepare all 4 montblancs in the same way.

  

• Finally, decorate each dessert with tufts of cream and a sprinkle of cocoa or a marron glacé, or chocolate shavings.

  

• The montblancs (Montebianco) are ready to be enjoyed… Enjoy your dessert!

  CLICK HERE to find all my other chestnut recipes.

  

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