Recipe Image
Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the Filling

60 g Dark Chocolate (Roughly Chopped)

320 g Chestnut Spread

For the Pastry

1 Pinch Sea Salt

120 g Unsalted Butter (Cubed)

200 g Plain Flour

¼ tsp Cider Vinegar

30 g Caster Sugar

3 tbsp Water

For the Topping

1 Pinch Sea Salt

1 tbsp Liquid Glucose

1 tbsp Maple Syrup

120 g Pecan Nuts (Roughly Chopped)

1 tbsp Caster Sugar

300 ml Double Cream
* Always check the ingredient labels for allgergen information

You can make the pastry and pecans a few days in advance

Mont Blanc Tarts

by Dan

Named after the snowy mountain they resemble.

Serves 8

Total 48 minutes

Oven Temp 180 °C - 28 minutes

Difficulty Not too Tricky

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi

Recipe Tag
Pastry

Method

  1. To make the pastry place the butter, flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and using your fingertips rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the vinegar and water and gently knead until it just comes together. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge.

  2. Once the pastry has chilled take out the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry and then cut circles for each tart case. Grease the tart tins and then line with the pastry (you may need an overhang as the pastry will shrink, this can then be cut off after blind baking). Place back in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

  3. To blind bake the tart cases, line the pastry bases with baking parchment or paper liners and fill with baking beans. Preheat the oven to180°C. Bake for 18 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown at the edges. Remove the beans and paper and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the base is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the tray.

  4. Increase the oven temperature to 190°C. To make the candied pecans, put the maple syrup, glucose and sugar into a small saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir gently until the sugar has melted, then add the pecans and salt. Stir so that the nuts are coated in syrup, then tip the nuts on to the lined baking tray. Place in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the syrup is bubbling around the nuts. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside until completely cooled.

  5. Make the filling when you are ready to assemble. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted, then use a pastry brush to line the inside of each case with the chocolate. Set aside for about 30 minutes, to set, then fill with enough chestnut spread so that it rises about halfway up the sides of the tart cases.

  6. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Divide the whipped cream between the tarts, so that it is slightly domed on top of the chestnut spread. Sprinkle the candied pecans generously on top.