Montebianco (chestnut chocolate pasta with whipped cream and candied chestnuts) – Valle d’Aosta
Recipe Type: Dessert (Dolci)
Cuisine: Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
This dessert was created in honour of the majestic Montebianco, visible even from long distances away in Italy and France. The ingredients make the most of local ingredients- their luscious cream from Alpine cows, earthy chestnuts and the chocolate Piedmontese are famous for. The chestnuts and cocoa are combined to form a pasta which is formed into a mountain and covered with whipping cream. This is much easier to make than it sounds provided you have a potato ricer. Candied chestnuts are a much coveted sweet which are difficult to make properly. Every year Santa brings a few for the bottom of our Christmas stockings. Those that are not eaten, find their way into this dessert.[br] [url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/recipes/dolce-ai-marron-glace-hazelnut-biscuits-meringues-candied-chestnuts-and-chocolate-with-whipping-cream-piemonte-valle-daosta/” target=”_blank”]For a quick and easy version of Montebianco, click here.[/url]
Ingredients
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05291-680×450.jpg” width=”680″ height=”450″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05291″]
- 600 grams chestnuts (raw in the shell or pre-cooked)
- 400 mls[url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-m/#go-milk” target=”_blank”]milk[/url]
- 110 gms granulated[url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-s/#go-sugar” target=”_blank”]sugar[/url]
- 20 grams [url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-c/#go-CACAO-POWDER” target=”_blank”]cocoa powder[/url]
- 30 mls[url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-r/#go-rum” target=”_blank”]rum[/url] (can add up to 90 mls if you prefer)
- 500 mls whipping [url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-c/#go-CREAM” target=”_blank”]cream[/url]
- 80 gms icing [url href=”https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/kitchen/ingredients/ingredients-s/#go-sugar” target=”_blank”]sugar[/url]
- 6 marron glace
Instructions
- If using raw chestnuts, boil them whole in water for 20 minutes and remove the shell.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05296-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05296″]
- Boil the chestnuts together with the milk and granulated sugar for 30 minutes.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05301-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05301″]
- Puree the mixture together with the cocoa and rum in a food mill or food processor.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05319-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05319″]
- Once tepid, let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to two days.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05321-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05321″]
- Get a serving plate ready. Add the mixture to a potato ricer and squeeze it through to form pasta onto the plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture, forming a mound onto the plate.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05363-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05363″]
- Whip cream with the icing sugar to form soft peaks. Put in a pastry bag with a fluted tip and decoratively cover the chestnut pasta.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05369-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05369″]
- Place a whole marron glace on top of the mound. Distribute the remaining marron glace around the base of the mound. Serve.
- [img src=”http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/meimanrensheng.com-montebianco-05380-680×453.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”aligncenter size-large” title=”meimanrensheng.com montebianco-05380″]
