XMAS DESSERT: FESTIVE CHESTNUT, CARDAMOM & MATCHA MONT BLANCS - MONT BLANC DE FÊTE A LA CARDAMOME ET AU THÉ MATCHA

"From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it."
- Katharine Whitehorn

I must say that even if it saddens me not to be surrounded by my kin-folk and to have no contact with the very few relatives left (including my parents and sister - very small family and a lot of psycho-drama and toxic behavior which I prefer to steer clear of if I want to be the master of my life, stay sane and be healthy in body and mind), I have to admit that sometimes there are advantages to leading a lonely existence and not being vampirized by others anymore.

You see, with the level of stress rising in society due to the Christmas preparations and the ominous launch of the end of year festivities (or shall we say madness/frenzy - LOL), I am thankful and happy that I'll be going through that odd period in a pressure-free mode. It is really nice to have no worries and be totally detached from all the fuss as well as the hype that surrounds us constantly. In that manner, it is possible to fully appreciate the magic of Xmas and winter.

I haven't been brought up in a religious environment (I belong to no church nor movement) and my boyfriend P. is also furiously against organized belief systems, so since we believe in other values (the power of the Universe & Nature), we will not be celebrating the 25th of December in a Christian way. In place of that we'll feast and party on the occasion of the winter solstice and of my birthday (I was born on the 25th of December).

"The Christmas season has come to mean the period when the public plays Santa Claus to the merchants."
- John Andrew Holmes

As we are not people who like overdoing things, it'll only be the three of us (P., Maruschka, our black kitty, and me) having a casual, yet lovely meal in a relaxed mood and listening to good music, far from the mass hysteria and feverish materialistic peocupations generated by the multiple obligations and oppressive social expectations that go hand in hand with our modern version of this fete (read this article I wrote in order to know what I think about Christmas).

Panicking or nervous breakdowns are not on the program! I have only very few gifts to make or cards to write, have nobody coming home for dinner and don't need to put on a fake smile on my face because I am not forced to attend any freakishly, artificially and kitschily gay/joyful family reunions where everbody is trying to be polite with one another when, in fact, they are just holding back any hard feelings for the sake of this "sacred" day are simply not my cup of tea (I am too honest for that kind of game - either there is a connection or there is none).

"I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays--let them overtake me unexpectedly--waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 'Why this is Christmas Day!"
- Ray Stannard Baker, pseud. David Grayson (1870-1946), American author, journalist.

Anyhow, no matter how humbly we will be spend this very short weekend (no long weekend for us - in Geneva the 24th and 26th of December are normal working days), I can assure you that we will nonetheless try to make the most of it; we have the intention of organizing a little banquet for two and spending a cosy time together. I plan on making my famous bozy and nutty "Foie Gras Terrine" that we will savor on the 23rd with some homemade bread or crackers, quince jelly and dessert wine (surely a Vin Santo), then on the 24th, as I love to honor my British roots, I'll prepare a 100% English classic Christmas dinner made from scratch and composed of roasted turkey, sage stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and shallots as well as gravy.

Even if we like to have a traditional fare, the dishes never succeed each other at our table and no sugary treat ends the repast. We don't go crazy. Generally, a small apéro opens the supper, but we seldom ingest more than the bird and its accompaniments. After having stuffed ourselves with such nourishing foods, we rarely have any space left for anything else. How do you guys do to not explode when you stuff yourselves for hours?

But, don't get alarmed, that doesn't mean that we don't enjoy desserts. It is just that we don't serve them after the pièce de résistance. We prefer to indulge in that kind of delicacy when our stomachs are not overexpanded and our taste buds have not been numbed by an excess of flavors. In our house, last courses are enjoyed at tea time or later in the evening...

Well, this Friday, I have decided to present one of those sweet confections instead of blogging about the usual Yuletide cookies or candy. Don't get me wrong, I am the biggest sucker for those goodies, but in December, magazines and blogs already offer enough recipes for biscuits, bonbons and bars. It is the reason why I thought that it would be great to share something a bit different than what you usually see everywhere when Noël is around the corner.

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I wanted to create a special dessert with the Matcha Pâtissier that the Palais Des Thés graciously offered me back in September and sublimate it, so after a certain amount of brainstorming I came up with a wonderful idea: I'd bake "Mont Blancs" (also known as "Monte Bianco in Italy) or rather a modernized version of a that luxurious and festive classic worthy of gracing the Italian table of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia during the 15th and 16th century, and that of France's noblest families during Louis XIV's reign.

In order to update the original recipe and spike it up a little, I added cardamom to the meringue batter, gave the vermicelli additional oomph by incorporating Kirschwasser to the chestnut puree and upgraded the Chantilly by blending some matcha to the cream. Now, that sounds a lot more exciting, don't you think?! 

As you can imagine, my luscious holiday "Chestnut, Cardamom & Matcha Mont Blancs" didn't last long and were gobbled at the speed of light. The pavlovas were light, crispy and their centre was delightfully soft and chewy, the chestnut puree was silky and the whipped cream divinely fluffy. Taste-wise, the aromas are not overwhelming, instead they are complementary, refined and work well together, each being distinguishable. A fantastic blend of dissimilar textures and of matching savors.To-die-for!!!

~ Chestnut, Cardamom & Matcha Mont Blancs ~
Recipe for the "Meringues" adapted from "Bon Appétit" magazine. Conception of this dessert as well as the "Chestnut Puree" and "Matcha Cream" recipes by Rosa Mayland, December 2011.

Makes 6 big "Mont Blancs":

Ingredients for the "Meringues":
4 Large egg whites
1/4 Tsp Cream of tartar
1 Cup (210g) Castor sugar
2 Tsps Cornstarch
1/2 Tsp Apple vinegar
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/4 Tsp Ground cardamom

Ingredients For The "Chestnut Puree":

400g Sweetened chestnut puree (no jam/spread)

3-4 Tbs Kirschwasser
Ingredients for the "Matcha Whipped Cream":
1 Cup (250ml) Double/heavy cream (35%)

2 Tbs Icing/conditioner's sugar
1 Tsp Palais Des Thés "Matcha Pâtissier" (powdered green tea)

 Method For The "Meringues":
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).

2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
3. Using your stand mixer (or electric mixer + a big bowl), whisk the egg whites for 1 minute. 4. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks appear.
5. Then, gradually incorporate the sugar, while continuously whisking until the whites are thick, really firm and resemble marshmallow creme, about 5 minutes.
6. Beat in the cornstarch, vinegar, vanilla, and cardamom.
7. Drop the heaps of meringue batter onto the prepared sheet (create 6 mounds, spaced 3 inches/8cm apart).
8. Using the back of a tablespoon, make a depression in the center of each meringue.
9. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 250° F (120° C).
10. Bake until the meringues are dry outside (but centers remain soft), have a pale straw color and lift easily from the parchment, about 80 - 110 minutes.
11. Cool completely on a rack.
Method For The "Chestnut Puree":

1. Mix the puree together with the kirsch. Set aside.

Method For The "Matcha Whipped Cream":

1. Make sure your stand mixer bowl, beaters and cream are very cold.

2. Add the matcha to the cream and beat until soft peaks form.

3. Then, add the sugar and continue whisking until firm peaks appear.

Method For Assembling The "Mont-Blancs":

1. Arrange the meringues on a serving platter and press the chestnut puree (with a potato press or chestnut puree press) in bird's nest shape around edge and center of the meringue shells.

2. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the puree, piling it high.

3. Sprinkle with edible silver pearls, then serve immediately.

Comments:

If your chestnut puree already contains some kirsch, then you might want to add less extra kirsch to it.
The meringues can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container for about 12-24 hours,  at room temperature.

The puree can also be made a few days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

The whipped cream and assembling can only be made at the last minute.

Serving suggestions:

Serve for dessert or for afternoon tea with some dessert wine, liqueur or a pot of jasmine tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Mont-Blanc A La Cardamome Et Au Thé Matcha ~
Recette pour le "Meringues" adapté du magazine "Bon Appétit" (US). La conception générale du dessert ainsi que les recettes pour la "Purée De Châtaignes" et la "Chantilly Au Matcha" par Rosa Mayland, Décembre 2011.
 

Pour 6 gros "Mont Blancs".

Ingrédients Pour Les "Meringues":
4 Blancs d'œufs (oeufs de ~63g)
1 CC de Crème de tartre
210g de Sucre cristallisé
2 CC de Fécule de maïs (maizena)
1/2 CC de Vinaigre de pomme
1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1/4 de CC de Cardamome en poudre
Ingrédients Pour La "Purée De Châtaignes":
400g de Purée de marrons sucrée/vermicelles (pas de confiture)
3-4 CS de Kirsch
Ingrédients Pour La "Chantilly Au Matcha": 
250ml de Crème double (35%)
2 CS de Sucre glace
1 CC de "Matcha Pâtissier" du Palais Des Thés

Méthode Pour Les "Meringues":
1. Préchauffer le four à 350 ° F (180 ° C).
2. Recouvrir une grande plaque à pâtisserie de papier sulfurisé.
3. A l'aide de votre batteur (ou au batteur manuel + un grand bol), fouetter les blancs d'oeufs pendant 1 minute.
4. Ajouter la crème de tartre et continuer de battre jusqu'à formation de pics mous.
5. Puis, incorporer progressivement le sucre, tout en continuant de fouetter pendant encore 5 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les blancs soient épais, très fermes et ressemblent à de la crème de guimauve.
6. Incorporer la fécule de maïs, le vinaigre, la vanille et de cardamome tout en fouettant.
7. Faire des tas avec l'appareil à meringue (créer 6 monticules, à 8cm d'intervalle).
8. Avec le dos d'une cuillère à soupe, faire une dépression au centre de chaque meringue.
9. Enfourner et réduire immédiatement la température à 120 ° C.
10. Cuire jusqu'à ce que les meringues soient sèches à l'extérieur (les centres doivent être mous), aient une couleur jaune paille et se décollent facilement du papier sulfurisé, environ 80-110 minutes.
11. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.
Méthode Pour La "Purée De Châtaignes»:
1. Mélanger la purée avec le kirsch. Mettre de côté.

Méthode Pour La "Chantilly Au Matcha":
1. Assurez-vous que votre bol mélangeur, vos batteurs et votre crème soient très froids.
2. Ajouter le matcha à la crème et battre jusqu'à formation de pics mous.
3. Puis, ajouter le sucre et continuer de fouetter jusqu'à la formation de pics fermes.
Méthode Pour "L'Assemblage Des Mont-Blancs":
1. Disposer les meringues sur une assiette de présentation et garnir le dessus de chaque meringue avec 1/6 de crème de marrons (utiliser un presse pommes de terre ou un appareil spécialisé).
2. Décorer avec la chantilly.
3. Parsemer de perles argentées, puis servir immédiatement.
 
Remarques:
Si voutre purée de marrons contient déjà du kirsch, alors faites attention de ne pas en rajouter trop. 
Les meringues peuvent être faites la veille et conservée pendant pas plus de 24 heures dans une boîte hermétique, à température ambiante.
La purée peut également être faite quelques jours à l'avance et conservées dans un récipient hermétique au réfrigérateur.
La crème fouettée et la chantilly doivent être faites à la dernière minute.
 
Idées De Présentation:
Servir à l'heure du dessert ou du thé avec un vin liquoureux, une liqueur ou du thé au jasmin.