I love the brilliance of the color White at home, in my kitchen, my bedroom, my living room on my table….but it can also be considered the color of the month for snow, ice, Holiday décor,snowflakes..skiing,ice skating, the snow capped mountains outside my window…..and one of my favorite desserts a Monte Bianco ( If you are on the Italian side of the mountain) or if you are on the mountain in France it is known as Mont Blanc..no matter how you say it, always a special dessert..
My kitchen here is fully prepared and anticipating the first Monte Bianco of the New Year..
Monte Bianco
(photo credit www.amando.it)
Copyright 2011 Maria Liberati/art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc
Davinci Book
Monte Bianco (Chestnut Chocolate Puree with Whipped Cream)
excerpted from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style, available here and in digital form exclusively at Kindle
(named after the famous MontBlanc)
serves 4 people
1 lb chestnuts
1 cup milk (or enough to cover chestnuts)
4 tablespoons (45 grams) of vanilla flavored sugar
2 tablespoons (30 grams) semisweet, dark chocolate (At least 65% cocoa)
3 cups cold whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Boil chestnuts till cooked ,20-25 minutes , drain and peel. Place chestnuts in saucepan and enough milk to cover them. Add in sugar and continue cook till milk is absorbed.. Melt chocolate in double boiler,. Set aside.
Pass chestnuts through ricer or potato masher into a bowl. Add in melted chocolate. Pass this mixture into potato masher and let fall onto a large plate in the shape of a large mound.
Whip whipping cream with sugar till peaks are formed. Cover mound of chestnut puree with whipped cream. Should resemble a mountain covered with snow. Serve.
March 2012..hope to see you at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style was selected as one of this year;s featured books…
White…the Color of the Month | Making Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc)
