Here it is still a little early, but one of our favourite autumn foods is chestnut... we have some nice recipes but if I have to pick one it's gotta be
Mont Blanc... absolutely luscious dessert!!
Ingredients
Meringue base
- 5 egg whites
- 200g powdered sugar
- 30ml/1oz lemon juice
(alternatively, if you are not sure of making meringue, you can also use already prepared meringue, crush them and spread evenly at the base)
Chestnut filling
- 600g/1-1/3lb of chestnuts, peeled, boiled broken in small pieces
- 600ml/21oz of whole milk
- 50g/2oz of sugar
- 80ml/3oz of rum
- 50g of meringue, or if you can find them amaretti cookies, crushed
Whipped Cream topping
- 500ml/18oz Full (or Heavy) Fresh Cream
- 200g/6,5oz powdered sugar
meringue base - Whip the eggwhite. Mid way through add the powdered sugar and the lemon juice, continue on whipping until very firm. Gently spread it over a round shallow pan (like the one for pizza) which is lined by a baking paper. Bake it in the oven at 80C/175F for at least an hour, or until it is completely dry. (depends on the oven, it could take much more time)
Put prepared chestnuts in a sauce pan or large skillet, pour milk in, cover, bring to boil then let it simmer for 15 minutes. If necessary add a little more milk. Before removing from the heat add 50g of sugar, cut the heat and mix in rum and crushed meringue.
Place the meringue base on a large round serving tray. Now you will cover this with the mashed chestnut mixture. You can simply mash as potatoes, then pile over the meringue base, just like building a mountain on top of it... or for esthetic effect if you have a similar equipment, use a vegetable grinder so it will come out like thin bunch of spaghetti. Chill the whole thing in the fridge.
Before you serve it whip the fresh cream with powdered sugar, cover generously the "mountain" of chestnut with the whipped cream.
Buon Appetito!!
p.s. If you would like to prepare the whole thing with cream already on top a little ahead of time, try this method which
Goodweed of the north suggested, this is to maintain the cream whipped without going down, I tried it and it works!!
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15094&page=1&pp=20