Chestnut slices with red wine pear and meringue

Recipe for 4 People

Chocolate Base:

• 10 eggs
• 240 g sugar
• 1 package vanilla sugar
• 220 g all-purpose flour
• 60 g cocoa powder
• 60 g melted butter
• Pinch of salt

Chestnut Cream:

• 190 g chestnut purée
• 25 g powdered sugar
• 25 g rum
• 2 sheets gelatin
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 500 g whipped cream

Red Wine Pear:

• 1 pear, cut into 8 wedges
• 100 g sugar
• 250 ml red wine

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 200 g powdered sugar

Approximately 200 g blackcurrant jam, some chestnut purée for garnish

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs with sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt until frothy. Sift the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the mixture. Stir in the melted butter. Spread evenly on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for about 20 minutes.
2. Mix chestnut purée with sugar and rum until smooth, soak gelatin. Whip the cream until stiff. Dissolve gelatin in 1 tablespoon rum and stir into the chestnut purée. Fold in the whipped cream.
3. Caramelize sugar in a pan, deglaze with red wine and reduce by one-third. Add pear, let simmer for 10 minutes, and allow to cool covered in the liquid.
4. Spread one base with blackcurrant jam, place the second base on top, and spread with chestnut cream. Chill.
5. For the meringue, place egg whites in a bowl, add salt, and beat with a mixer until very stiff. Gradually add powdered sugar. Continue mixing until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes firm.
6. The meringue can be processed as desired. For example, fill the mixture into a piping bag, form various shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dry in the oven at 50–70°C for about 3 hours.
7. Spread with sweet whipped cream and garnish with chestnut purée.