Chestnut Cream Meringues Are Known as White Mountain (Mont Blanc)

Step 1

Gather the ingredients. The Spruce / Christine Ma Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With the help of a pencil, trace 1 (9-inch) circle for one large Mont Blanc or 10 (3 1/2-inch) circles for individually-sized desserts on the parchment paper. You might need more than one baking sheet if making small circles. The Spruce / Christine Ma In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy. The Spruce / Christine Ma Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. The Spruce / Christine Ma Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar until the mixture holds long, stiff peaks when the beater is lifted. Carefully fold in the remaining sugar and vanilla. The Spruce / Christine Ma Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tube. Pipe 1 large round or 10 small ones onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. The Spruce / Christine Ma Bake 1 hour or until meringue is firm to the touch. If the meringues begin to brown during baking, reduce the heat. Transfer the meringues to a rack and let cool. The Spruce / Christine Ma

Step 2

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375 F. The Spruce / Christine Ma Peel the chestnuts using a small, sharp knife and leave the inner skin on. Place the chestnuts in a shallow ovenproof dish. The Spruce / Christine Ma Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until skin dries and peels off easily. Rub the nuts into a rough clean cloth or hand towel to remove the inner skins. The Spruce / Christine Ma Place peeled and skinned nuts in a saucepan. Cover with water and add the vanilla bean. The Spruce / Christine Ma Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chestnuts are very tender. Remove the vanilla bean. The Spruce / Christine Ma Meanwhile, boil 3/4 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan to make a thin sugar syrup. Set aside to cool. The Spruce / Christine Ma Drain the chestnuts well and add to a food mill or food processor. Purée until smooth. The Spruce / Christine Ma When the syrup is cool, add 1/4 cup of syrup at a time into the chestnut pureé to make it thin enough to pipe it through a pastry bag but still thick enough to hold its shape. If using canned purée, sweeten to taste, making sure it is thin enough to be piped. The Spruce / Christine Ma Fit a pastry bag with a 1/8-inch plain tube and fill with purée. The Spruce / Christine Ma

Step 3

Gather the whipped cream ingredients. The Spruce / Christine Ma In a medium bowl, beat the cold cream with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until stiff. The Spruce / Christine Ma In a separate small bowl, beat the pasteurized egg white until it forms a stiff peak. The Spruce / Christine Ma Fold the egg white into the cream and add the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. The Spruce / Christine Ma Arrange the meringue or meringues on a serving platter and pipe the chestnut purée into a birds-nest shape around the edge. The Spruce / Christine Ma Pipe the cream mixture in the center, piling it high so it resembles a mountain. Sprinkle grated chocolate over the whipped cream and chill until serving time. The Spruce / Christine Ma If using, dust with powdered sugar just before serving so it looks like a snowy mountain. The Spruce / Christine Ma