This is my favorite childhood dessert, My mami used to make this on special occasions and till date I cherish the memories I have of the decadent chocolate mousse that she makes. She haven't shared her secret recipe with me yet but love and persistence made me experiment and after trying and testing, I have finally mastered the recipe! Hurrah!
So here goes the recipe for all those fellow Chocolate Mousse Lovers!!!! Enjoy!
Almost all recipes I reviewed called for bittersweet chocolate. Trader Joe's has some Belgian bittersweet Ghirardelli 70% cocoa bricks which work perfectly. Chocolate mousse is a little bit tricky. If you incorporate the egg yolks when the chocolate is too warm, it will cook, if too cold, it will seize up when the other ingredients are added. If you stir and not fold the egg whites and whipped cream in, your mousse will not be fluffy, but dense.
Serves 8-12, depending on the size of the servings.
Ingredients:
4-5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons espresso (optional)
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoon sugar (Optional)
Raspberries and extra whipped cream
Procedure:
1. Whip the heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Sugar can be put in either in the egg whites or the cream.
2. Then separate the eggs, and Whip the egg whites separately till stiff/firm.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.Double Boiler Steps:
a. Fill bottom of double boiler with about 1 inch of water and place on low heat/simmer.Set the bowl over it, but it should not touch the water.
b. Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped/shredded chocolate in the top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water and allow it to melt stirring frequently until smooth and shiny.
c. To help you melt without it seizing, use a bit of extra whipping cream.About 2tbsp or so...or maybe a little butter stirring constantly with spatula and whisk. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
4. Once the melted chocolate has cooled a bit, stir in the yolks. Stir gently till well blended. This has to be done before the chocolate cools down completely.
5. Then gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in gently with a spatula.Follow it by folding in half the egg whites, then fold in cream and followed by the other half of the egg whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.It is very important that you alternate, and be really gentle all along that process.
6. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Let stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour or longer till nicely set. That's it! (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)
Tips & Warnings: Chocolate has a very low melting point. It must not be subjected to excessive heat. Always melt over very low heat - do not boil the water. Moisture can cause the chocolate mixture to stiffen. Don't let any water get into the chocolate (that's why you shouldn't cover the double boiler; condensation will drip in).
I would love to hear back when you try the recipe! Cheers!
So here goes the recipe for all those fellow Chocolate Mousse Lovers!!!! Enjoy!
Almost all recipes I reviewed called for bittersweet chocolate. Trader Joe's has some Belgian bittersweet Ghirardelli 70% cocoa bricks which work perfectly. Chocolate mousse is a little bit tricky. If you incorporate the egg yolks when the chocolate is too warm, it will cook, if too cold, it will seize up when the other ingredients are added. If you stir and not fold the egg whites and whipped cream in, your mousse will not be fluffy, but dense.
Serves 8-12, depending on the size of the servings.
Ingredients:
4-5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons espresso (optional)
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoon sugar (Optional)
Raspberries and extra whipped cream
Procedure:
1. Whip the heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Sugar can be put in either in the egg whites or the cream.
2. Then separate the eggs, and Whip the egg whites separately till stiff/firm.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.Double Boiler Steps:
a. Fill bottom of double boiler with about 1 inch of water and place on low heat/simmer.Set the bowl over it, but it should not touch the water.
b. Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped/shredded chocolate in the top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water and allow it to melt stirring frequently until smooth and shiny.
c. To help you melt without it seizing, use a bit of extra whipping cream.About 2tbsp or so...or maybe a little butter stirring constantly with spatula and whisk. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
4. Once the melted chocolate has cooled a bit, stir in the yolks. Stir gently till well blended. This has to be done before the chocolate cools down completely.
5. Then gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in gently with a spatula.Follow it by folding in half the egg whites, then fold in cream and followed by the other half of the egg whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.It is very important that you alternate, and be really gentle all along that process.
6. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Let stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour or longer till nicely set. That's it! (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)
Tips & Warnings: Chocolate has a very low melting point. It must not be subjected to excessive heat. Always melt over very low heat - do not boil the water. Moisture can cause the chocolate mixture to stiffen. Don't let any water get into the chocolate (that's why you shouldn't cover the double boiler; condensation will drip in).
I would love to hear back when you try the recipe! Cheers!
