Active Time

　　45 minutes

　　Total Time

　　3 hours 10 minutes

　　Angelina, the iconic Parisian tearoom, is famous for its velvety hot chocolate and its signature pastry, the Mont-Blanc.

　　Named after the highest mountain in the Alps, this dome-like construction of meringue and whipped cream is topped with thinly piped “vermicelli” of sweet chestnut cream. It’s a heavenly mix of textures—crunchy, airy, creamy—and the nutty flavor of chestnuts is irresistible. The classic mountain shape is difficult to make at home; it quickly turns into a toppling mess. Not wanting to get too technical, I played around with different ways to serve it: It works well in alternating layers in a cup or glass, but the winning format was suggested by my dear friend Laurence, who dropped by on a recipe-testing day. Together we made long rectangular Mont-Blancs to be divided into servings, and this is what I recommend.

　　This recipe was excerpted from ‘Tasting Paris: 100 Recipes to Eat Like a Local’ by Clotilde Dusoulier. Buy the full book on Amazon.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

　　

For the meringue

3 Tbsp. (40 g) granulated sugar

　　¼ cup (40 g) powdered sugar

　　3 large egg whites, at room temperature

　　¼ tsp. cream of tartar

　　¼ tsp. fine sea salt

　　

For assembling

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

　　1 cup sweetened chestnut cream, chilled

　　

Step 1

Prepare the meringue 4 hours before serving: Position racks at the upper and lower thirds, preheat the oven to 225°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and powdered sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat the egg whites on low and then medium speed, until they form medium peaks. Whisk in one third of the sugar mixture and continue beating on medium speed as you sprinkle in the remaining sugar, a little bit at a time. The meringue is ready when it is glossy and forms stiff peaks; this will take about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain or star tip. Working in a tight zigzag, pipe the meringue onto one of the baking sheets to form 4 long rectangles about 1½ × 12 inches.

　　

Step 4

Pipe the rest of the meringue into 1-inch dots on the second baking sheet; you should have enough to make about 60. (You won’t be needing them for this recipe; when baked, serve with coffee or ice cream.)

　　

Step 5

Bake until the meringues are completely set and detach from the parchment paper easily, 1½ to 2 hours, switching the positions of the sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through. If the meringues begin to color, reduce the oven temperature slightly.

　　

Step 6

While the meringues are baking, clean the piping bag and tip. Clean the mixer bowl and whisk and put in the fridge to chill.

　　

Step 7

Remove the meringue rectangles carefully from the parchment paper and cool on a rack.

　　

For the assembly

Step 8

Put the chilled heavy cream in the chilled mixer bowl. Snap on the whisk attachment and start whisking the cream on medium-low speed, then increase the speed slightly every 30 seconds or so, until the whisk leaves clear traces in the cream and the cream forms beautiful, firm peaks when you lift up the whisk, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to the piping bag fitted with the tip you used for the meringue.

　　

Step 9

Just before serving, spoon the chestnut cream into a sturdy sandwich bag and chase out the air as you close it. Snip a tiny (1 mm) opening in one corner; this will be your “vermicelli” piping bag.

　　

Step 10

Arrange the 4 rectangles of meringue on a serving dish large enough to accommodate them. Pipe whipped cream along the length of each meringue. Working your way from one end of a rectangle to the other, pipe vermicelli of chestnut cream in a tight side-to-side movement to conceal the meringue and whipped cream.

　　

Step 11

Bring whole to the table and slice into thirds or quarters depending on appetite.

　　Note:

　　In humid weather, the meringues may absorb the ambient moisture and go soft. Under those circumstances, it’s best to bake the meringues as close to serving time as possible.

　　Reprinted from Tasting Paris Copyright © 2018 by Clotilde Dusoulier. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Nicole Frazen. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House. Buy the full book from Clarkson Potter or Amazon.