Speculoos chestnut parfait

Sabine

speculoos-chestnut-parfaitmonceau-noelAll summer long, I´ve enjoyed making ice creams and eat it with my kids straight away, just the three of us sitting on the stairs by the front door, with bowls on our laps and the sun tickling our noses. During fall, those ice cream moments did as they always do: they disappeared just like a favorite summer dress gets lost in the backmost corner of the closet. For the holidays though, for the first time in months, I felt in the mood for a frozen treat: something festive, something pretty, a combination of seasonal flavors to top of a holiday feast.

The `ice cream` I had in mind was a chestnut parfait made with crème de marrons, sweetened chestnut purée. I always have a can at home to stir it into greek yoghurt – it´s really delicious. If perhaps you aren’t a big fan of crème de marrons and find it overly sweet: I know what you mean, but in this parfait it works wonderfully with its somewhat nutty aftertaste and creamy texture. Chunks of speculoos cookies provide an extra dose of Christmas flavor (as if that were needed), while more crunch comes from little bits of crumbled meringue, raising discussion whether this parfait should be better called a vacherin.

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monceau-noel-13Whichever name you prefer, it was impossible to serve this dessert without some marrons glacés  sprinkled on top – though I admit it was really hard for me to come out with my hidden box.  Candied chestnuts are my little treasured délice de Noël, the ultimate French Christmas treat.  If you don´t want or get them,  a handful of pomegranate molasses or chopped sugared almonds would be just fine. Et voilà, c´est prêt: a winter ice cream (but we stayed inside to eat it).

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Speculoos chestnut meringue parfait (serves 8-10):

350 g full fat cream
60 g confectioner´s sugar
1 pinch fine salt / fleur de sel
250 g sweetened chestnut purée
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
6 speculoos cookies, crumbled + some extra for decoration
6 (25 g) small meringues*, crumbled + some extra for decoration

3 or 4 marrons glacés for decoration, if you can get some

I prefer to use silicone moulds for this recipe, as you don´t need to line them and unmoulding is very easy. If you don´t have silicone moulds, line one or more recipients with cling film. Set aside.

Whisk cream (it should be well chilled) with 30 g sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff. For best results, I always keep the cream in the refrigerator until I want to whisk it and also chill the bowl for a few minutes.

Once the cream is whipped, refrigerate again.

Over a bain marie, whisk eggs and yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy.

Gently fold in the chestnut purée into the whipped cream.

Now fold in the cream & chestnut mixture into the whisked eggs.

Gently fold in crumbled meringues and speculoos cookies.

Fill mixture into the prepared mould(s).

Freeze until firm, counting 6-8 hours for one large dish, 3- 4 hours for a dish with half of the mixture, and 1.5- 2 hours for small individual servings.

To serve, sprinkle with more crumbled speculoos cookies, meringues and/or chopped candied chestnuts.

* You can buy them in most bakeries, or if you want to make them yourself: 2 egg whites at ambient temperature whisked together with 100 g confectioner´s sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cornstarch  and a few drops vanilla essence. Add sugar spoon by spoon until you have a very stiff, glossy, silky meringue mixture. Spoon or pipe about 25 small meringues onto a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake/dry 1 hour at 120°C. Keep in the oven for 1 more hour with the door closed. Then leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

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26 Comments

    1. C´est pas possible! J´aime bien le parc Monceau au 17eme, c´est pourquoi on s´est baladé autour de ce dernier il y a quelques jours! Je n´avais pas i´idée que tu y vivais, Nadia. small world! Quant à nous, on vit à St. Cloud, avec une belle vue sur Paris, d´où il n´est pas loin au 17eme!
      Bonne année à toi aussi!

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    1. I wasn´t fullyaware of that, Amanda, though I should have guessed – chestnut cream isn´t very well known in Germany either. HEre in France it´s a common thing, especially around Christmas , a lot of sweet chestnut treats pop up!
      Happy 2017 to you! Sending over all my best wishes for you , your husband & family!

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    1. Candied chestnuts weren´t available in Germany (where I come from) either. It´s only here in France that I´ve come to know and like them. Perhaps that´s why I find them so special (that, and because they cost a small fortune ;-)). Chestnut cream though is a French staple of sorts throughout the year, and being in the delightful process of assimilating to French culinary habits, I always have some at home 🙂
      Wishing you a wonderful New Year, Mimi–Bonne année! Sabine

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    1. We´ve had this parfait to end most holiday meals this year. Still I haven´t had enough – in fact, I´m making another batch today. Glad you like the recipe!! All my best wishes for the New Year! May it be a happy one.

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  11. Oh good grief how I love the idea of this …. I’m a big marron and châtaigne fan whch is just as well since our maison secondaire is in the châtaigneraie Cantalienne so we are sated. I also have a passion for speculoos which we have shared before and I feel the need to make this and sit on my sun–drenched (if absolutely freezing cold) balcony eating it straight from the mould or bowl or whatever it ends up in just to say Happy New Year to you and your children and thank you for all the sunshine you bring into my little world courtesy of your beauteous blog ☀️

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    1. That´s such a sweet thing to say, my dear! I hope in the meantime you´ve had the time to make the dessert and liked it. Perhaps you even make your own chestnut purée (giving your house is located in chestnut paradise, I mean)? All my very very best wishes to you and your loved ones. May it be a good, a happy, healthy and a peaceful one!

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  12. Boy, oh, boy! If ever there was a dessert that belongs on a Yuletide table, this is it. It looks delicious and I envy your dinner mates. Some people have all the luck! I don’t know where I’ll get my hands on crème de marrons, candied chestnuts, or even speculoos but, on the bright side, I’ve now got 3 reason to stop by the gourmet shops. Maybe I’m kinda lucky after all. 🙂

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