A Mont Blanc is a cake or tart made of puréed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base. It is named "Mont Blanc" because it is constructed to look like the Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. In French, it is called Mont Blanc aux Marrons, or White Mountain with Chestnuts. In Italian, it is called Monte Bianco: Mont Blanc translated from French into Italian. Often sugar or cream will decorate the top of a Mont Blanc to resemble the snow-capped mountain.
Some sources claim that the cake was invented at the famous Angelina cafe in Paris. The cafe was founded in 1907, but it is uncertain when the Mont Blanc was added to the menu.
Since I was in a playful mood, I recreated this famous Mont Blanc dessert with a Halloween theme including a "Surprise Centre" - Ferraro Rondnoir chocolate ball. I replaced the puréed chestnuts with puréed pumpkin and I used chocolate coated Rice Krispies instead of meringue as the base. I have placed the Month Blanc in a pool of 'blood' which is made of puréed strawberries.
Mind you, although this Halloween dessert is complete with bloody, maggoty and wormy effects, it is super delicious. Think of these three wow factors: The sweet and sourly fresh strawberry sauce, the bitter sweet dark chocolate with crunchy Ferrero Rondnoir chocolate ball and crispy Rice Krispies and the spicy and creamy pumpkin buttercream.
Pumpkin Mont Blanc Recipe (Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Kellogg Rice Krispies
- 50 g Dark Chocolate
- 4 x Ferrero Rondnoir (or any other chocolate balls, mousse, or truffles)
- 8 x strawberries
Pumpkin Buttercream (Adapted from A Year In The Kitchen):
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp.
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 lbs confectioner's sugar (more or less)
Method
- Make Pumpkin Buttercream: Cream butter, pumpkin and spices. Slowly add sugar until the buttercream is no longer separated by the pumpkin. Use or keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.
- Puree strawberries. Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate, stir in Rice Krispies and mix well.
- Place a round food ring on a serving plate. Scoop 2 tbsp of the chocolate Rice Krispies mix to make a round circle base and top it with a Ferrero Rondnoir chocolate ball.
- Pipe the pumpkin buttercream using a spaghetti or small round nozzle with zigzag pattern.
- Spoon strawberry puree around the pumpkin mont blanc before serving.