Wednesday, November 12, 2014

easy chocolate mousse

Throwing a dinner party and want something simple you can put together in advance so you can have a good time chatting with friends during the party instead of slaving away in the kitchen?

Yes you can.

In fact, I am a big believer that as long as you have more than 4 coming for dinner, dessert should be made ahead.

So you will never catch me making souffles or crepes or anything at the last minute when I throw a dinner party.
This chocolate mousse recipe has been my go-to recipe for years and years now. It is totally decadent, especially if you use good chocolate, and because it is very rich (without being sweet), you don't have to make loads as a little really will go a long way.

In addition to all that, the best part, naturally, is that I can make this up to 2 days before the party, divide into individual portions, cover with cling film and store them in the fridge.

It really is all good.
Here are the instructions for making these small pots of decadence.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a water bath. I used chocolate that contained 70% cacao because I prefer a deep chocolate flavor but you can use one with a lower cacao content if you prefer your chocolate mousse to be sweeter.
Set this aside to cool a little.
Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Whisk the egg whites on high speed until foamy.
Slowly add 2 tablespoons of sugar while whisking.
Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
Set this aside.

Whisk the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla extract until stiff.
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
Fold in the whipped cream.
Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mousse into individual serving cups.
Cover with cling film and chill the mousse for at least 4 hours. Top with chocolate curls before serving.
Enjoy.

RECIPE
Easy Chocolate Mousse (Makes 5-6 servings)
Adapted from joyofbaking

Ingredients:
4 oz (120g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces - I used Valrhona 70%
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso (optional) - I omitted this
2 large eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoons (60g) caster sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat content)

Garnish: (optional)
Whipped Cream
Fresh Raspberries
Shaved Chocolate

Method:
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a water bath. I used chocolate that contained 70% cacao because I prefer a deep chocolate flavor but you can use one with a lower cacao content if you prefer your chocolate mousse to be sweeter.
2. Set this aside to cool a little. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
3. Whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed until foamy.
4. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of sugar while whisking. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form. Set this aside.
5. Whisk the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla extract until stiff.
6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
7. Fold in the whipped cream.
8. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mousse into individual serving cups.
9. Cover with cling film and chill the mousse for at least 4 hours. Top with chocolate curls (or any garnish you prefer) before serving.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Diana,

    This, I called them instant pleasures!!! More shaved chocolate topping, please! :D

    Zoe

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  2. Diana, I must make these! And they are all for me hee..hee...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't wait to give this recipe a try. I love how mousse came out and how simple this is to do.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Diana...my favourite chocolate mousse! yummy!

    ReplyDelete