Mont Blanc Dessert Recipe - Great Italian Chefs

'Mont blanc' – chestnut ganache with chocolate, cream and meringue

Dessert
challenging
8
2 hours, plus 8 hours drying

PT2H

PT8H

Viviana Varese's visually stunning Italian dessert recipe is as delicious as it is beautiful. A thick chestnut ganache supports delicate crescent-shaped meringues which act as the base for all the other elements; a rich white chocolate ganache, an airy crumble of cocoa sponge and a luxurious milk ice cream. Viviana decorates hers with luxurious golden chocolates, but you can be creative with your presentation and add your own personal touch.

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Ingredients

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Metric

Imperial

Chestnut ganache

150g of chestnut purée
4g of gelatine
240g of cream
100g of milk
8g of glucose
115g of milk chocolate, chopped

Meringue

100g of egg white
100g of caster sugar
100g of icing sugar

Milk ice cream

635g of milk
120g of caster sugar
35g of milk powder
58g of glucose
48g of trimoline
4g of stabiliser
80g of cream

White chocolate ganache

220g of cream
80g of white chocolate, chopped
50g of glucose
4g of trimoline
1/2 vanilla pod

Cocoa sponge

320g of milk
55g of cocoa powder
25g of olive oil
20g of dextrose
25g of glucose
8g of dried albumen

To serve

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Electric hand whisk
Dehydrator
Piping bags
Thermometer
Ice cream maker
Siphon bottle or cream whipper
N2O cartridge (4)
Microwave

Method

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Begin with the meringues as these require time to dry out. Whisk together the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl. While continuing to whisk slowly, add the icing sugar a little at a time until fully incorporated as a glossy meringue

100g of egg white
100g of caster sugar
100g of icing sugar

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper then draw on the outlines of 4 crescent moons per sheet. Pipe the meringue to fill the outlines in a thick layer then place in a dehydrator set to 60°C for 8 hours to dry out completely

Meanwhile, prepare the chestnut ganache. Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water to soften. Place the cream and milk in a pan then mix in the glucose. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring to create a smooth mixture

4g of gelatine
240g of cream
100g of milk
8g of glucose

Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped milk chocolate so that it melts into the hot cream. When thickened and smooth, squeeze out the excess moisture from the softened gelatine and mix into the chocolate cream until fully dissolved

115g of milk chocolate, chopped

Mix in the chestnut purée until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and have a small tray lined with baking paper to hand. Pipe 2–3 long lines of the ganache onto the lined tray then place the tray in the freezer to set for at least an hour. Reserve the remaining ganache in the piping bag in the fridge

150g of chestnut purée

To make the milk ice cream, place the milk in a pan over a gentle heat and warm through to 30°C. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk powder, glucose, trimoline and stabiliser then stir into the warm milk

635g of milk
120g of caster sugar
35g of milk powder
58g of glucose
48g of trimoline
4g of stabiliser

Bring the mixture up to 50°C then stir in the cream. Continue to heat up to 85°C then cook at this temperature for 2 minutes. Allow to cool before transferring to an ice cream machine and churning as per the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until ready to serve

80g of cream

Once the lines of chestnut ganache have frozen almost solid, cut the lines into 1cm logs and return to the freezer in a container until ready to serve

For the white chocolate ganache, measure out 50g of the cream and set aside. Place the remaining cream, white chocolate, glucose and trimoline in a pan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod. Warm through gently to 50°C

170g of cream
80g of white chocolate, chopped
50g of glucose
4g of trimoline
1/2 vanilla pod

Stir gently with a spatula to melt the chocolate then gradually stir in the reserved cream a little at a time until fully combined. Transfer to a piping bag and reserve in the fridge until ready to serve

50g of cream

Finally, make the cocoa sponge. Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl then pour into a siphon gun set with 4 charges. Fill a silicone mould or suitable microwave container with the mixture then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes, until firm to the touch

320g of milk
55g of cocoa powder
25g of olive oil
20g of dextrose
25g of glucose
8g of dried albumen

Allow to cool then unmould and crumble into small pieces, either by hand or by pulsing briefly in a food processor. The crumble will keep in a container until serving

When ready to serve, start by piping small mounds of the chestnut ganache on each plate in order to support the meringues – it may help to use the meringues as a guide. Carefully balance the moon-shaped meringues on top

Pipe 4 small rounds of the white chocolate ganache at intervals along the meringue then fill in the gaps with the crumbled cocoa sponge. Add the candid chestnut halves and frozen logs of the chestnut ganache, leaving a gap for a quenelle of milk ice cream in the centre

candied chestnuts, halved

Garnish with sprigs of mint cress, edible gold leaf and chocolate decorations (such as gold-dusted discs) to finish

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Viviana Varese

Becoming one of the most famous chefs in Milan (and, after starring in her own television show, all of Italy) isn't easy, but Viviana Varese remains at the top of her game by sourcing the very best produce available.