Delia's Vegetarian Collection

Petits Monts Blancs

Serves 8

When I first worked in a restaurant kitchen in the early 1960s, this recipe was on the menu and I became totally addicted to the sweetened chestnut puree. Chestnut has an amazing affinity with meringue and whipped cream, but in this modern version I have replaced the cream with mascarpone and fromage frais; this way you get the flavour and creamy richness of the mascarpone but lightened by the fromage frais.

For the meringues:
2 large egg whites
4 oz (110 g) white caster sugar

For the filling:
2 x 250 g tins creme de marrons
de l?Ardeche (sweetened chestnut puree), chilled

For the mascarpone cream:
9 oz (250 g) mascarpone
7 fl oz (200 ml) 8 per cent fat fromage frais
1 rounded dessertspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a little icing sugar for dusting

You will also need a 16 x 12 inch (40 x 30 cm) baking sheet, lined with baking parchment.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300?F (150?C).

To make the meringues, place the egg whites in a large spanking clean bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a low speed, begin whisking.

Continue for about 2 minutes, until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed to medium and carry on whisking for 1 more minute. Now turn the speed to high and continue whisking until the egg whites reach the stiff-peak stage. Next, whisk the sugar in on fast speed, a little at a time (about a dessertspoon), until you have a stiff and glossy mixture.

Now all you do is spoon 8 heaped dessertspoons of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Then, using the back of the spoon or a small palette knife, hollow out the centres. Don?t worry if they are not all the same shape ? random and rocky is how I would describe them.

Next, pop them on the centre shelf of the oven, immediately reduce the heat to gas mark 1, 275?F (140?C) and leave them for 30 minutes. After that, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to dry out in the warmth of the oven until it is completely cold (usually about 4 hours) or overnight. The meringues will store well in a tin or plastic box, and will even freeze extremely well.

To assemble the Monts Blancs, spoon equal quantities of the creme de marrons into each meringue, whisk the mascarpone cream ingredients together (except the icing sugar) and then spoon equal amounts on top of the chestnut puree. A light dusting of icing sugar is good for a snowcapped-mountain image.