MONTE BIANCO WITH CHESTNUTS AND MERINGUE. The history of the Monte Bianco Dessert with chestnuts and meringue is closely tied to the history of Piedmont and France.
The dessert likely originated in the 17th century when Piedmont was part of the Duchy of Savoy, which also included part of France. The most accredited hypothesis is that the Monte Bianco was created by a pastry chef from the Duchy of Savoy, aiming to create a dessert reminiscent of the highest mountain in the Alps.
The dessert consists of two layers of meringue, a filling of chestnut cream, and a whipped cream topping. The shape resembles that of a snow-covered mountain. The original Monte Bianco recipe used French meringue, with a chestnut cream filling. The topping was white chocolate, melted in a bain-marie. Over time, the dessert recipe has been modified into various variations. A very popular variant is the Coffee Monte Bianco, which includes coffee added to the chestnut cream filling. Instead of chocolate now, whipped cream is used to cover the dessert.
The Monte Bianco is a dessert with a delicate and creamy flavor. The crunchy meringue contrasts with the softness of the chestnut cream and whipped cream. It’s a perfect dessert for special occasions or a simple snack. The recipe has been passed down from generation to generation and today is one of the most popular desserts in Piedmont. The dessert is also widespread in other Italian regions, such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna.
Here are other recipes with chestnuts:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 9
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 530.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 69.75 (g) of which sugars 45.20 (g)
- Proteins 5.14 (g)
- Fat 26.13 (g) of which saturated 2.05 (g)of which unsaturated 1.94 (g)
- Fibers 2.98 (g)
- Sodium 96.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 204 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Monte Bianco with Chestnuts and Meringue
- 1.1 lbs chestnuts (fresh)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- as needed milk (same weight as boiled and peeled chestnuts)
- 1 vanilla (bean, or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1 tbsp rum
- 2 egg whites
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 2/3 cups whipping cream
- 1/3 cup vanilla powdered sugar
- as needed unsweetened cocoa powder
- as needed crushed marron glacé (crumbled)
Tools
- Potato Masher Barazzoni Potato Masher, Stainless Steel 18/10. Made in Italy.
- Immersion Blender Moulinex DD6558 Quickchef 3in1 Immersion Blender, 1000 W, Mixer with Powelix Technology and 10 Speeds, 3 Accessories, 800 ml Cup, 500 ml Chopper and Whisk, Stainless Steel Blades
- Piping Bag SOGUDE Disposable Piping Bags, 100 Pcs Piping Bags, Cake Decorating Kit with 7 Stainless Steel Nozzles and 5 Sealing Clips
Steps for Monte Bianco with Chestnuts and Meringue
Start by washing the chestnuts under running water, drain them, and cut a small piece of the skin with a sharp knife. As you go, place them in a large pot full of water, set the pot on the stove, and boil the chestnuts for about 30 minutes. Once ready, drain and peel them, removing the brown skin that sticks to the fruit. Be sure to set aside only the good ones, discarding any rotten or black ones. Then weigh them.
Mine weighed about 270 g and I added 100 g of sugar (add 20g of sugar for every 100g of boiled and peeled chestnuts). Put on low heat, a saucepan, place the chestnuts, the seeds of the vanilla bean and the empty pod (remove it at the end), a pinch of salt, and the milk (equal weight of the chestnuts). Once it comes to a boil, cover with a lid, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes. Allow time for the milk to be partly absorbed by the chestnuts.
Finally, blend the mixture with an immersion blender or potato masher until you obtain a smooth chestnut puree, free of lumps and rather thick, add one level tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa. Let it cool, then put the cream back on the fire in a small pot, add the cream, and the butter, mix to blend well, let cool
Preheat the oven to 212°F. Let’s prepare the French meringue. Once ready, put the meringue in a piping bag and form 8 meringue discs, 3 inches in diameter, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, let cool in the oven with the door ajar. Remove the meringue and place them on 4 plates.
Put the chestnut cream in a piping bag with a large and grooved nozzle. Do the same with the well-chilled whipped cream. Now start garnishing the meringue discs. On the base of the disc, form pretty spirals with the chestnut cream and cover the cream with whipped cream tufts, garnish with pieces of crushed marron glacé, and a sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa. Proceed like this for all the meringue discs. And here is a delicious Monte Bianco dessert with chestnuts and meringue ready to be served
Storage, variations of Monte Bianco with chestnuts and meringue
The Monte Bianco can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days if filled. The chestnut cream without cream can be stored for up to 5 days. Chocolate variant: if you want to give your dessert a chocolate flavor, you can add, right after blending the chestnut puree, 1 level tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and 1 teaspoon of rum
