Mont Blanc trifle pots
Makes: 6 individual trifles
Prep time: 30 mins Total time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Mont Blanc trifle pots
Recipe by Áine Carlin
Makes: 6 individual trifles
Prep time: 30 mins Total time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
439Kcal
Fat
21gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
51gr
Sugars
36gr
Fibre
8gr
Protein
9gr
Salt
0.2gr
Áine Carlin
Former film actress Áine is a vegan food and fashion blogger. Her cookbooks Keep It Vegan and The New Vegan offer a plethora of straightforward and delicious recipes for all occasions. She has recently published a new book Cook Share Eat Vegan: Delicious plant-based recipes for Everyone.
See more of Áine Carlin’s recipes
Áine Carlin
Former film actress Áine is a vegan food and fashion blogger. Her cookbooks Keep It Vegan and The New Vegan offer a plethora of straightforward and delicious recipes for all occasions. She has recently published a new book Cook Share Eat Vegan: Delicious plant-based recipes for Everyone.
See more of Áine Carlin’s recipes
Ingredients
For the cream
- 150g cashews
- 3 tbsp agave nectar
- a pinch of pink Himalayan salt
- juice of ½ small orange
- ½ tsp orange extract
For the filling
- 250g cooked chestnuts
- 8 Medjool dates, stones removed
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch of pink Himalayan salt
For the nut base
- 75g pistachio kernels
- 50g cacao nibs
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 1 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
- 4 Medjool dates, stones removed
- zest of 1 orange
To serve
- 2 fresh figs, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp pistachio kernels, chopped
- 1 tbsp nut base mixture (see recipe)
- orange zest, to sprinkle
Step by step
Get ahead
Soak the cashews overnight. The trifles can be assembled the day before serving.
- Place the cashews in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Drain and rinse the cashews, then add to a blender along with 3 tablespoons of water, the agave nectar and pink Himalayan salt. Blend until it begins to form a smooth cream-like texture. Gradually add another 3 tablespoons of water, scraping down the sides from time to time, and blend vigorously until it resembles double cream. Once the mix is completely smooth (and without any hint of it ever having once resembled nuts – be patient, it will happen!), add the orange juice and orange extract. Blend again to thoroughly combine and chill until needed.
- For the filling, add the cooked chestnuts to a food processor, along with the Medjool dates, vanilla extract, pink Himalayan salt and 100ml water. Blend until it forms a thick paste before adding up to 100ml more water, a little at a time: you want it to be thick but not stiff. Again, chill until needed.
- In the same food processor (no need to clean it), add the pistachios, cacao nibs, coconut and cacao. Pulse to break up the pieces before adding the dates and orange zest. Pulse again until forms a fine, sticky rubble. Divide between 6 individual trifle dishes and press down to create the trifle base (reserve a tablespoon or so for the garnish).
- Spoon on the chestnut filling and smooth to the sides using the back of a spoon. Pour over the cashew cream and again, smooth to the sides. Garnish with wedges of fig, chopped pistachios and the remaining nut base. Sprinkle over a little orange zest and serve.
Chef quote
If you think vegan desserts can't wow, think again. These trifles are deceptively decadent – they get the thumbs-up from vegans and non-vegans, and make a great change from a Christmas pud. I like mine with a glass of sherry
