Mont Blanc is a classic French dessert, revered as the aristocrat of sweets.

This recipe uses kabocha squash as the main ingredient, complemented with premium bird's nest, making it even more nourishing and precious.

This rich and sweet kabocha Mont Blanc is easy to make, guaranteed to learn in 1 minute!

About Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc is a classic French dessert, originally named after Mont Blanc, the famous peak in France. Traditionally, Mont Blanc uses chestnuts as the main ingredient, which is why Hongkongers call it "French chestnut cake."

The shape of Mont Blanc is modeled after Mont Blanc by the French, with spiraled chestnut puree mimicking the brown mountain peak, and powdered sugar imitating the snow on the mountain, offering both texture and beauty.

Although Mont Blanc originally featured sweet chestnuts as its main ingredient, it has since evolved to include various flavors such as strawberry and chocolate, with innovative variations in shape like squares and pyramids, making it endlessly versatile and distinctive.

Kabocha Squash Japanese squash, named "Kabocha Squash" because its taste is as rich and sweet as chestnuts. Kabocha squash has a delicate and smooth flesh. After steaming, it becomes sweet and delicious, melting in your mouth, making it very suitable for desserts. Pumpkin is rich in antioxidant carotenoids, which are effective in preventing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and have anti-wrinkle effects. At the same time, pumpkin contains potassium, cellulose, and various vitamins, promoting intestinal health, making it especially suitable for people who are physically weak. Bird's nest is a well-known tonic with a long history. Recent research has found that bird's nest is rich in sialic acid and epidermal growth factor, which have the effects of improving intelligence, repairing skin, and boosting immunity.

Making the Almond Tart Base

Step 1: Tart Crust

Mix 70g of room temperature butter with caster sugar. Add half an egg to the butter already mixed with sugar. Stir them until well combined. Add 140g of cake flour and knead until no dry powder is visible. Flatten the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Step 2: Almond Tart Filling

Add 60g butter, 50g caster sugar, 1 egg, and 60g almond flour to a bowl. Stir the above ingredients until fully combined.

Step 3: Baking the Almond Tart

Press the dough into a round disc, then place it on a mold. Place the almond tart filling on the dough. Gently smooth the almond tart filling. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 25 minutes.

Making the Pumpkin Cream

Mix 200g of pumpkin puree, 30g of butter, and 25g of caster sugar evenly. Add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder and 40g of light cream. Whisk the ingredients until fully combined. The pumpkin cream is now ready. Transfer the pumpkin cream into a piping bag and refrigerate for later use.

Finishing the Pumpkin Mont Blanc

Place pumpkin cubes on the almond tart. Adding some cream at the bottom helps to enhance adhesion and secure the pumpkin cubes in place. Pipe fresh cream around the pumpkin cubes, enclosing them to form a tower shape. The fresh cream used is instant whipped cream, placed in a piping bag and refrigerated for 15 minutes before use. Pipe two layers of pumpkin cream in a spiral around the fresh cream, one inner and one outer layer. Top the pumpkin cream with chopped pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Finally, add bird's nest on top of the pumpkin seeds to complete.

Lo Hong Ka's Thoughtful Tips

Kabocha squash has a rich flavor and less moisture, making it ideal for Mont Blanc, though other pumpkins can be substituted.

Before baking the almond tart, use a fork to poke 3-4 small holes in the bottom of the crust to prevent excessive puffing during baking, which could affect its appearance.

Filtering the pumpkin puree through a sieve beforehand helps to make the pumpkin cream smoother.

For the piping bag, it's best to use a nozzle specifically designed for Mont Blanc, commonly known as a "chestnut tip."

Learn more about Instant Bird's Nest >