Mont Blanc: the most glamorous winter dessert

Here in London this morning the snow is falling – it's been threatening all week, but this feels like the real deal. It's settling and everywhere is looking Christmas card gorgeous. 

Over Christmas I couldn't resist making one of my favourite wintery desserts – Mont Blanc. I originally tasted a Mont Blanc at Angelina's in Paris and mine were based on their take on this classic, topped with chestnut purée, rather than Chantilly cream. I'd made a batch of meringue nests with some left-over egg whites, so it was easy to quickly assemble the Mont Blancs. I gently whipped some double cream and lightly sweetened it with icing sugar before plopping it onto the meringue. Similarly with the canned chestnut purée – it needed sweetening and beating lightly before being piped over the cream. I finished them off with some chopped marrons glacés, a dusting of icing sugar and, for a bit of festive glamour, some gold leaf. 

With our Mont Blancs we had some Vin Santo – the tangy, raisiny sweetness worked well with such a rich, luxurious dessert. However, next time I'd love to try it with some ice wine...

Muscadet in mid-winter

It's not an obvious choice for sub-zero temperatures and while snow is still on the ground, but I do love a crisp, invigorating white to enliven the palate this time of year.

Last night we enjoyed the single vineyard Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie Fief Guérin I'd picked up from Waitrose before Christmas for about £6.50. I zoned in on it as it seemed an attractive option for our supper: aubergines cooked with soy, ginger, garlic, chilli and sesame, garnished with yoghurt, fresh mint and lime and served with noodles. Sipping it before dinner was a treat. The crisp, fresh salinity always make a mouthwatering apéritif and, once we were tucking into the food, the extraordinary versatility of Muscadet became clear. Yes, this is a wine that is perfectly suited to simply prepared fish and seafood – I can't think of anything I'd rather drink with moules-frîtes – but, because of its tingling acidity and subtle aromas, it's a seriously good food wine that can take on some big flavours. It cut through the rich, fatty aubergine like a rapier, yet had enough presence to stand up to the heat and power of the other ingredients. What's more, coming from such a northerly location, the alcohol level is only 12°.

Muscadet is often regarded as old-fashioned, but this demonstrated how contemporary and exciting it can taste (and sealing it with a screwcap will certainly help maximise the fresh purity of the wine – nothing stale and sharp here).

PS Look out for Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie for about the same price: another great value example of this often overlooked wine.