Mont Blanc

Instructions

1. For the chestnut cream, add the peeled chestnuts to a pot, pour in the milk, cover with a cartouche and simmer until chestnuts are very tender (tender enough for mashing).
2. Drain the chestnuts, reserving the liquid. Transfer the chestnuts to a blender or food processor, adding icing sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Blitz for a few minutes into a smooth chestnut paste. Add a touch of liquid if necessary.
3. Press through a drum sieve to get rid of any big pieces. Cool down.
4. Fold in cold cream, then cover it with cling film and refrigerate. When chilled, place in piping bag with a small round nozzle.
5. For the filling, whip cream and icing sugar to firm peaks. Crumble the meringues into a bowl then fold into the whipped cream.
6. To assemble: pipe 6 dots of chestnut cream on each serving plate to hold the tart in place. Place a tart case on top of each dot. Divide the cream-meringue mix among the tart bases, shaping it into a pyramid with a round tip with the help of a spatula or a piping bag.
7. Pipe the chestnut cream in a circular motion, starting at the base of the tart shell to the top of the meringue forming the characteristic bird-nest shape. Or you can make your own rustic pattern. Once you are happy with the Mont Blanc, chill to set for at least 15 minutes then dust with icing sugar before serving.