Mont Blanc

Before starting this Mont Blanc recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

For the meringues: Pour the egg whites in the stand mixer bowl.

Add the castor sugar.

Combine with a whisk to incorporate the castor sugar.

Place the recipient over a bain-marie prepared in a saucepan.

Whisk the preparation until hot. When touching the preparation with the tip of your finger, you should feel a stinging sensation due to the heat. Watch the intensity of the heat, as it could cause the egg whites to coagulate.

Place the recipient in the food mixer and beat...

... until you obtain a meringue. Continue beating until the meringue is cold. The Swiss meringue is now ready.

Scoop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

Pipe the meringues on a Silpat baking mat, into small discs with a diameter of about 4.5cm and a thickness of 1 or 2cm.

Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 80-100°C (gas 1/4) for at least 1.5 hours.
For example, you can set your oven on 1.5 hours, then once it is turned off, let the meringues dry in the oven overnight.
These dry meringues will keep well in an airtight container.

For the almond rich shortcrust pastry: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

... almond powder...

... a few drops of liquid vanilla extract...

... until the dough has a homogeneous consistency. Make sure you do not knead the pastry too much.
Reserve in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

For the crème pâtissière: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Cut the vanilla pod in half, lengthwise.

Blanch the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk.

Add the cornflour.

Combine well with a whisk.

Bring the milk to a boil.

When it starts boiling, pour over the egg, sugar and flour mixture. Combine well.

Transfer the preparation into the saucepan used to boil the milk.

Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.

Add the butter, cut into cubes.

Combine until thoroughly incorporated.

Transfer the preparation into a large dish...

... and spread to a thin layer...

... then place a sheet of cling film. in direct contact with the surface of the cream. Let cool.

For the almond cream: In a mixing bowl...

...sift the icing sugar and cornflour.

In a separate bowl, soften the butter.

Add the icing sugar, the sifted cornflour...

... and the almond powder.

Add the whole egg. Combine well.

Add 100 grams of the crème pâtissière you prepared earlier (it should be cold).

Combine well with a whisk.

Add the rum. Combine and set aside.

For the pastry cases: Roll out the almond rich shortcrust pastry.

Cut small discs of pastry and line the cavities of a Flexipan silicone mould. Fill each pastry shell with almond cream. I recommend using a piping bag for an easier operation.

Repeat this operation to fill all the pastry shells.

Bake at 180°C (gas 4), preferably in a fan-assisted oven...

... for about 15 or 20 minutes, until the pastry and the surface of the cream are golden.

When cooked, remove from the oven...

... then release the tartlets and let cool on a perforated baking sheet.

For the Chantilly cream: In a bowl, combine the castor sugar and whipped cream stabilizer. Add the powder mixture to the whipping cream and whisk...

... until you obtain a firm whipped cream.

Scoop the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle (diameter 10mm).

Place one dry meringue on top of each tartlet.

Pipe some Chantilly cream around each meringue...

... and coat it completely...

... finishing with a big swirl on top.
Reserve in the fridge.

For the chestnut cream vermicelli: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

In the stand mixer, combine the three chestnut preparation until you obtain a homogeneous consistency, without lumps.

Scoop the preparation into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle (diameter 3 or 4mm)...

... and coat the whipped cream with vermicelli of chestnut cream.

Repeat for all the Mont Blanc cakes. You should not see whipped cream through the coat of chestnut vermicelli.

Sprinkle with Codineige (moisture-resistant icing sugar).

On top of each cake, arrange a marron glacé...

... cut in half.

Finish with a few gold flakes for a sophisticated effect.Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!