1
Roll out the sugar dough into a thin sheet, freeze for 15 minutes, and repeat to achieve an even thickness.
2
Freeze the pastry again, then pre-bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After cooling, spread with almond cream and bake for another 20 minutes.
3
Cool, freeze, trim, and cut the baked crust into two rectangles.
4
Beat room temperature egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually add granulated sugar and cream of tartar, then fold in sifted powdered sugar and orange zest.
5
Shape the meringue into slabs and bake at 195°F (90°C) for 90 minutes. Coat with a chocolate and cocoa butter mixture, refrigerate to set, and repeat to keep the meringue crispy.
6
Beat chestnut cream with eggs on high speed until light and fluffy, then fold in the sifted dry ingredients and melted butter.
7
Pour into a baking pan, bake for 20 minutes, cool, freeze, and cut into bars.
8
In a food processor, combine chestnut paste with cognac (or rum or whiskey), then smooth with hot heavy cream.
9
Pipe the chestnut compote generously over the chestnut sponge and freeze.
10
Scrape the vanilla bean seeds, heat half of the heavy cream, add the vanilla pod, cover and let infuse for about 20 minutes. Remove, rinse, and save the pod.
11
Mix the hot heavy cream with white chocolate, add softened gelatin, then add the remaining chilled heavy cream. Refrigerate the mousse overnight, then whip to soft peaks.
12
Fill the mold about halfway with vanilla mousse, coat the sides using an offset spatula, then place the frozen chestnut sponge insert.
13
Moisten the cake insert with punch, cover with vanilla mousse, top with crispy meringue, add more mousse, and seal with the pastry crust.
14
Repeat the assembly process with the other mold and freeze overnight.
15
Remove from molds, cut into desired sizes, and decorate with chestnuts in cognac or milk chocolate barks.
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