Chocolate mousse

This is a blog post on how to make classic bitter Chocolate mousse (Mousse au chocolate) This is an quintessential French dessert. It is easy to prepare ahead especially for a dinner party. It is rich and extremely delicious due to the quality of dark chocolate. So do the best you can to find the darkest and best chocolate so as to produce the most intense chocolate flavour. Here is a link to my favourite online supermarket Waitrose to buy dark chocolate

I have actually made this today for Valentine’s day for me and my husband. However, it is late to post for Valentine’s. It is good for any special occasion and at any dinner parties where you want to show how you home cook skills, It is also great on it’s own when you want a special treat. After all who doesn’t like chocolate? I love them as a kid even till now. i do love great and best chocolate though as they taste so good. So do the best you can to buy the darkest for this chocolate mousse recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4-8 (all depends on how big your ramekins pots are to be honest and how much you want to serve to your guest)

225g/ 8oz plain dark chocolate, chopped

50 mls / 3 tablespoon water

30 mls/ 2 tablespoon orange liqueur or brandy

30 grms/ 1 oz/ 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 medium/ large eggs, seperated

90 mls/ 6 tabelspoon of whipping cream (if you can find use double cream it will be much richer though)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

45 mls/ 3 tablespoon of caster sugar

creme fraiche or soured cream and some raspberries, blueberries or left over whipping cream for decoration.

Method

Place the chocolate in a pyrex / heatproof bowl. Melt over heat in a pot of bain marie (a post of simmer water) so as not to burn/ overheat the chocolate. Slowly add the water as you go along so as to loosen the chocolate as it melts. Once it’s melted remove fromheat and whisk in the liqueur and butter.

With a electric mixer beat the egg yolks for 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy, them slowly beat into the melted chocolate until well blended. Side aside.

In the same bowl whip the cream up until it becomes stiff and stir into the chocolate mixture.

In clean grease free bowl whisk the egg whites, add the cream of tartar and caster sugar which the egg white mixture becomes stiff and glossy.

With all this whisking it makes the chocolate mousse nice and light. I would definitely recommend using a electric whisk rather by hand as it is a lot of work by using hand whisk.

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spatula slowly fold in the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Like one does with all macaroon and cake mixtures so as not to let the air escape. Cutting down along the sides and up to a semi circular motion until it is combined. don’t worry too much about the white streaks it will strengthen out itself. Put them into 4 or eight individual.

Serve with creme fraiche or sour cream or remaining cream on top with some raspberries and blueberries.

Want another chocolate recipe here is a link to my chocolate brownie recipe.