Hon-Mirin Mont Blanc Recipe, by Tim Anderson
by Tim Anderson
Mont Blancs are one of my all-time favourite desserts. I wish I had one right now. Oh wait, I do, because I just tested this recipe and it’s awesome! The sherry-like aroma of hon-mirin is a perfect swap for the usual brandy or Armagnac – in fact, I prefer it, as it’s less boozy and more smooth.
Ingredients for Hon Mirin Mont Blanc
- 350 g (12 oz) vacuum-packed chestnuts
- 4 digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
- 8 soft pitted prunes or dates
- 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (1¾ oz/generous ¼ cup) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt, as needed
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 70 g (2½ oz/scant ¹⁄³ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 6 tablespoons hon-mirin
- 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons icing (powdered) sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 4 meringue nests
How to make Hon Mirin Mont Blanc
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350°F/gas 4).
- To make the chestnut cake, place 50 g (1¾ oz) of the chestnuts in a food processor with the digestives. Blitz to a fine crumb, then whizz in the prunes, followed by the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and a big pinch of salt. Add the milk, oils, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and blend until smooth.
- Divide the batter among four lightly oiled cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes. When they’re done, leave to cool in the tins, then tip them out and cut the rough tops off each cake so you have four little cylinders.
- To make the chestnut purée, combine the remaining chestnuts in a saucepan with the caster sugar and enough water to cover the chestnuts. Bring to the boil and cook until the liquid is a very thick, sticky syrup, stirring frequently, especially towards the end of cooking to ensure the chestnuts don’t scorch. Remove from the heat, then retrieve four of the prettiest, plumpest chestnuts and set them aside for decoration. While still warm, blend the rest of the chestnuts and their syrup in a food processor along with the hon-mirin, 2 tablespoons of the cream, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and a pinch of salt to a smooth purée. The purée should be very thick, but if it is so thick it won’t blend, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time) until it can be blended evenly. Chill the purée in the refrigerator.
- Whip the remaining cream with the icing sugar and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla until it forms stiff peaks.
- To assemble the Mont Blancs, place a dab of whipped cream in the well of each meringue nest, then lay a chestnut cake on top. Cover the whole thing in whipped cream (use a piping bag), then top with the chestnut purée. If you have a potato ricer (the tool of choice), place the purée inside the ricer and squeeze it out onto the top of each cake. If you don’t have a ricer, you can pipe the chestnut purée on top, or just dollop it with a spoon. Decorate with the reserved candied chestnuts and a generous dusting of icing sugar.
About the author
Tim Anderson is an award-winning chef, writer, and the brilliant mind behind London’s popular ramen izakaya, Nanban. Originally from Wisconsin, Tim’s passion for Japanese food began as a hobby but quickly evolved into a career after winning MasterChef in 2011. With over 20 years of immersion in Japanese food culture, including time spent living in Fukuoka, Tim has authored beloved cookbooks like JapanEasy, Vegan JapanEasy, and the award-winning Tokyo Stories. His work celebrates authentic Japanese flavours with a fresh and accessible twist.
