Name: Chocolate Merveille, Clementine with Rosemary
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 200 g ofegg whites (or about 7 egg whites); 100 g ofsugar (end); 100 g ofpowdered sugar; 200 g ofheavy cream; 20 g ofsugar (end); 100 g ofdark chocolate (At least 70% cocoa—be sure to choose high-quality chocolate for this recipe); 4 clementines; 6 mandarins (or 2 bitter oranges); 1 lemon (yellow or green); 2 branches ofrosemary; 5 tsp ofsugar; 40 g ofunsalted butter; 40 g ofnuts; 40 g ofhazelnuts; 40 g ofalmonds; pastry bag; cooking ring (8 cm in diameter (optional)); mandoline (optional); stand mixer (for the beaten egg whites and whipped cream)

desserts chocolate pastries prepared in advance

Updated on 23 November 2025 by

falbala

9 reviews 4.2 : Very good

Diet

Gluten-free Vegetarian

Level

Intermediate

Preparation

1 hour

Cooking

2 hours 30

Here is the recipe for the Chocolate Merveilleux with Rosemary Clementines. I created this dessert for New Year’s Eve, and it was a huge hit with my guests!

The recipe for the Merveilleux itself is adapted from an article in Le Monde about pastry chef Pierre Marcolini, though I reduced the amount of sugar and added a few details on the preparation.

To add a fruity yet equally indulgent touch to this Merveilleux, I paired it with a Rosemary Clementine and its Citrus Caramel, based on the recipe featured on the blog Gratinez.fr.

The resulting dessert beautifully combines crisp and soft, sweet and bitter, as well as hot and cold. To top it all off, the visual effect is stunning, with the black-and-white Merveilleux on one side and the bright orange of the Clementine on the other, from which a sprig of rosemary seems to sprout…

In short, it’s a dessert that’s as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat!

For

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For the meringue
200 g of egg whites or about 7 egg whites
100 g of sugar end
100 g of powdered sugar

For the whipped cream
200 g of heavy cream
20 g of sugar end
100 g of dark chocolate At least 70% cocoa—be sure to choose high-quality chocolate for this recipe

For the clementine
4 clementines
6 mandarins or 2 bitter oranges
1 lemon yellow or green
2 branches of rosemary
5 tsp of sugar
40 g of unsalted butter
40 g of nuts
40 g of hazelnuts
40 g of almonds

Kitchen utensils
pastry bag
cooking ring 8 cm in diameter (optional)
mandoline optional
stand mixer for the beaten egg whites and whipped cream

Making the meringue
- 1
  Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl, gradually adding the granulated sugar. Once the whites are glossy and stiff, gently fold in the powdered sugar using a spatula.
- 2
  Pour the mixture into a piping bag, and pipe rounds about 8 cm in diameter and less than 1 cm thick onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Personally, I use a pastry ring to make them nice and even. Use a small spoon to smooth out the meringues if necessary.
- 3
  Bake for 2 hours at a low temperature (100 °C max). Store in a dry place.
How to Make Whipped Cream
- 4
  Place a mixing bowl, the beaters from your mixer, and the crème fraîche in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- 5
  Whip the cold crème fraîche, starting at low speed, then increasing the speed as the whipped cream begins to thicken. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until the cream is stiff.
  It is essential to have very stiff whipped cream for this recipe.
The Making of the Marvelous
- 6
  Use a mandoline, a large knife, or a melon baller to make chocolate shavings on a plate.
- 7
  Place a meringue on a dessert plate, then top it with whipped cream.
  Stack three or four meringues in this way, and finish with a layer of whipped cream.
- 8
  Roll the dessert in the chocolate shavings, then place it upright on a dessert plate and sprinkle with more shavings.
  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preparing the clementine
- 9
  Rinse the rosemary under water, then cut it into sprigs about the size of a clementine. Gently
  peel the clementines, remove the central "stem" without damaging the fruit, and insert a sprig of rosemary into each one.
  Make sure the clementine remains whole.
- 10
  Preheat your oven to 180°C.
  Squeeze the mandarins and lemon into a small saucepan, and add the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let it reduce slightly until it reaches a syrupy consistency.
- 11
  In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the clementines, basting them constantly with the melted butter for 5 to 10 minutes.
  Lower the heat so the clementines and butter don’t burn.
- 12
  Once the clementines have browned slightly, pour the citrus syrup into the pan, mix well with the melted butter, and continue to baste the clementines for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 13
  Place the clementines and juice in a baking dish, and finish baking in the oven for about 5 minutes.
  Remove when the juice has thickened to the consistency of a runny caramel.
- 14
  Meanwhile, brown the walnuts in the pan you used to cook the clementines for about 5 minutes.
  Make sure the walnuts are well coated with the remaining butter and cooking juices.
Final assembly
- 15
  Take the pastries out of the fridge, and place a clementine on each plate, then sprinkle with toasted walnuts.
  Spoon some citrus caramel over the clementine, and serve immediately.