Petits Monts Blancs
WHEN I first worked in a restaurant kitchen in the early Sixties, this was on the menu and I became addicted to the sweetened chestnut purée. Chestnut has an amazing affinity with meringue and whipped cream, but in this modern version I have replaced the cream with mascarpone and fromage frais: this way you get the flavour and creamy richness of the mascarpone but lightened by the fromage frais. SERVES 8
FOR THE MERINGUES
2 large egg whites 4 oz (110g) white caster sugar
FOR THE TOPPING
9oz (250g) mascarpone 7fl oz (20ml) 8% fat fromage frais 1 rounded dessertspoon caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract
TO FINISH
2 x 250g tins crème de marrons de l’Ardèche (sweet chestnut purée), chilled
A little icing sugar YOU WILL ALSO NEED
16 x 12in (40 x 30cm) baking sheet lined with silicone paper (parchment) or washable and re-usable Bake-O-Glide ™ liner from silverwood-bakeware.com PRE-HEAT the oven to 150c/300f gas 2. To make the meringues, place the egg whites in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a low speed, begin whisking. Continue for about 2 minutes, until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed to medium and carry on whisking for 1 more minute. Now turn the speed to high and continue whisking until the egg whites reach the stiff-peak stage. Next, whisk the sugar in on fast speed, a little at a time (about a dessertspoon), until you have a stiff and glossy mixture. Now all you do is spoon 8 heaped dessertspoons of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Then, using the back of the spoon or a small palette knife, hollow out the centres. Don’t worry if they are not all the same shape — random and rocky is how I would describe them. Next, pop them on the centre shelf of the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 140c/275f/gas 1 and leave them for 30 minutes. After that, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to dry out in the warmth of the oven until it is completely cold (usually about 4 hours) or overnight. The meringues will store well in a tin or polythene box, and will even freeze extremely well. To assemble the Monts Blancs, spoon equal quantities of the crème de marrons into each meringue, whisk the topping ingredients together and spoon equal amounts on top of the chestnut purée. A light dusting of icing sugar is good for a snow-capped-mountain image. TO WATCH how to make Delia’s meringues and Pavlova, visit the Delia Online Cookery School deliaonline.com