Mont Blanc or Mont Blanc aux Marrones is a classic French pastry that features sweet chestnut puree piled onto meringue rounds, topped with whipped cream for a subtlety sweet dessert that resembles the snow-capped mountain that inspired its name.
Mont Blanc has featured in many patisseries over time, notably the Parisian tea shop Angelina, where it has been a specialty since it opened in 1903. In modern patisseries, such as Pierre Hermé Paris, the Mont Blanc is reinvented as an elegant tart.
Outside of France, Mont Blanc is also common in parts of Italy and Switzerland. In Japan, where desserts commonly feature red beans (anko) or chestnuts, Mont Blanc is a perfect meeting of traditional (wagashi) and Western sweets. In Shibuya Tokyo, Mont Blanc Style serves their version of this classic dessert on a cake base or as a parfait. Mont Blanc is also available in convenience stores (konbini) such as MINISTOP, as a seasonal soft serve ice-cream.
My take on this classic recipe is a cross between a Mont Blanc dessert and brown butter blondies. It has a brown butter blondie base with beautiful texture and flavour from freshly roasted chestnuts. A meringue topping crowns the blondie – its both crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside. It’s all topped with a light dusting of cocoa and a dollop of whipped cream.
This is only one of a range of classic baking recipes on my website – many based on iconic, no-fail baking recipes. Check out the full range of recipes here!
Ingredients
For the blondie
142g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
142g (3/4 cup) white or gold chocolate, coarsely chopped
190g (1 1/4 cup) roasted chestnuts, shelled
67g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
50g (1/4 cup) light brown sugar
3g (1 tsp) flaky salt
100g (2 large) eggs
16g (1 large) egg yolk
10g (2 tsp) vanilla extract
163g (1 1/4 cup) plain flour
125g (2/3 cup) dark chocolate buttons
For the meringue
120g (4 large) egg whites
200g caster sugar
Pinch cream of tartar
Pinch flaky salt
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (no fan). Grease and line a 9 inch (22.5cm) round or 8 inch (20cm) square baking pan with baking paper. Make sure there is sufficient overhang to lift out the blondies once baked. (For a round pan, I criss cross two thin baking paper strips along the base and sides, with plenty of overhang.)
- Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir frequently until the butter splatters, foams, then subsides, and the solids turn golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the chocolate has melted.
- Pulse chestnuts, caster sugar, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until fine. Add butter/chocolate mix and pulse until combined. Add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and pulse until the mix is uniform and light.
- Add flour and briefly pulse, leaving a few streaks of flour. Add dark chocolate and gently fold in. Transfer to the baking pan, spreading to the corners. Gently smooth the surface. Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, until a crust has formed on the surface.
- 10 minutes into baking, make the meringue. Using a hand held beater, beat egg whites on medium until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar and continue to beat. Once at soft peak stage, start adding sugar, one tbsp at a time, and continue to beat until stiff peaks (around 7 minutes).
- Remove the blondie from the oven and swiftly add the meringue on top. Bake at 160°C for a further 25-35 minutes, until the meringue puffs up and a crust forms on the top, but the centre is still soft.
- Leave in oven with heat off for 20 mins. Transfer to a cooling rack, leave to completely cool in tin. Lightly dust with cocoa, slice and serve with whipped cream.
