The Mont Blanc is a delicious and scenic dessert, perfect as a conclusion to a meal, and also ideal for snacks and buffets. Made with marron glacé for the chestnut paste, this version is quick and easy to prepare.
This dessert is particularly captivating for its color contrasts. The combination of the white meringue and whipped cream with the brown chestnut and cocoa paste creates a truly pleasant visual effect.
For the meringues, I propose a simple and foolproof recipe, the only precaution is to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
For the chestnut paste, we’ll use ready-made marron glacé, to be crushed with rum and cocoa. The mixture is then passed through a potato ricer to achieve the typical elongated shape.
The preparation of the Mont Blanc is really simple: just cover the meringue with tufts of chestnut paste, add some whipped cream, and complete with pieces of marron glacé for decoration.
You can choose to prepare the Mont Blanc as a single cake or, as I prefer, serve it in individual portions, perfect for a buffet or special occasions.
If you love homemade desserts, I also recommend other recipes that can be prepared in single portions, ideal for rich and colorful buffets
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 9 pieces
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 180.85 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.58 (g) of which sugars 26.14 (g)
- Proteins 1.63 (g)
- Fat 5.76 (g) of which saturated 0.18 (g)of which unsaturated 0.11 (g)
- Fibers 1.52 (g)
- Sodium 15.53 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 45 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
- 9 meringues (round flat about 2.5 inches diameter)
- 8.8 oz marron glacé (pieces are fine too)
- 1.4 tbsp rum
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.25 cup powdered sugar (to ease working)
Tools
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Potato ricer
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Star nozzle
Steps
To start preparing our single portion Mont Blanc, gather all the necessary ingredients. Using a powerful blender, puree the marron glacé together with the cocoa and rum. The goal is to achieve a compact but not too dry paste; if needed, add a few more drops of rum. Keep in mind that the paste should be soft enough to pass easily through the potato ricer.
Whip the cream using an electric whisk. Personally, I do not add sugar, as the meringue base is already quite sweet, but it is up to you to decide whether to sweeten the cream or not, depending on your preferences.
Now we need to cover the meringues with tufts of chestnut paste. To facilitate the operation, put the pureed paste into the potato ricer and sprinkle it with powdered sugar, as the paste tends to be a bit sticky.
Press the paste and, with the tufts derived, cover each meringue. Press a small amount of paste at a time, about a tablespoon per meringue, distributing it harmoniously without compressing too much, as the chestnut tufts are the distinctive element of this dessert. If the paste remains harder in the potato ricer, remove it with a teaspoon and set it aside to use later. Using the piping bag equipped with a star nozzle, decorate each meringue with a swirl of whipped cream.
Take the paste we removed from the potato ricer because it was too hard, combine it with your hands until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Place it on a sheet of parchment paper lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Fold the parchment paper over the paste and, with the help of a rolling pin, roll it out into a very thin sheet.
Finally, decorate our Mont Blanc by cutting the chestnut sheet into irregular pieces and placing it on top of the whipped cream. Remember to create the effect of a mountain, slightly overlapping the pieces to form the top of the mount. Complete the decoration with some pieces of marron glacé and your dessert will be ready to be served.
NOTES
With these single portion Mont Blanc, you can elegantly and deliciously conclude an important meal, or serve them for an elegant snack or buffet. They keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, so they can be prepared in advance. I have also included an easy recipe for meringues, which can be made well in advance, as they last a long time in tightly closed jars with lids.
If you liked the recipe or have any questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
If you liked the recipe or have any questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can you use regular chestnuts?
Of course, we can use chestnuts instead of marron glacé, but we need to boil them well, peel them, then mash them by adding a third of their weight in sugar.
Of course, we can use chestnuts instead of marron glacé, but we need to boil them well, peel them, then mash them by adding a third of their weight in sugar.
