You can find many sophisticated versions of this dessert in pastry shops across France. The versions that follow are very simple and rustic: a mountain of chestnut puree topped with a snowy peak of whipped cream.

You may also use 1 pound vacuum-packed, precooked chestnuts for this, in which case you do not need to cook them in milk. Simply begin with the sugar syrup step and proceed as directed.

Have ready:

Cut an X on the flat side of each nut. Cook in a saucepan of boiling water to cover for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove a few nuts at a time and peel off the outer shell and inner membrane. Place the nuts in a medium saucepan with:

Cook at a low simmer until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding the milk (or reserve it for another use). Bring to a simmer in another medium saucepan:

Add the softened chestnuts and cook until the syrup is reduced and thick enough to coat the nuts, about 15 minutes. Cool until just warm and puree the chestnuts and syrup in a food processor until smooth. Press the chestnut paste through a ricer onto a serving plate in a big mound. Do not mash or compact the chestnuts. Prepare:

Place the cream on the chestnut mound and let it flow down the sides. Chill well before serving. Just before serving, grate over the top:

And then, as our dear old French friend would have said, “I’d be so pleased, I would not thank the King to be my uncle.”

Mont Blanc is easier to make with store-bought sweetened chestnut puree, but because of its remarkable viscosity the puree needs to be lightened up before it will pass through a ricer. We like to use pastry cream for that purpose.

Prepare:

Allow the pastry cream to cool. Beat in a stand mixer on medium speed until loosened up:

Gradually beat in ½ cup of the pastry cream, beating until the mixture is smooth. Press the chestnut mixture through a ricer onto a serving plate in a big mound. Top with whipped cream and chocolate as in version I.