Chocolate Mousse

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February 2024 View more

By Kelli Ra Anderson

Chocolate Mousse

Creamy and light, this silky-smooth chocolate mousse will melt in your mouth. Famous for its bubbly texture, chocolate mousse (mousse means “foam” in French) is an elegant but simple dessert. However, with so few ingredients, their quality is critical—especially the chocolate.

A French chocolate like Valrhona or Callebaut or an American variety like Guittard are excellent choices (as a bonus, they are ethically sourced and produced). Another tip? Avoid chocolate chips, which often have a low cocoa butter content, and instead, reach for the highest quality 70 percent cacao bar you can find (70 percent is the culinary sweet spot; higher percentages will take on bitter notes).

Finally, looking to add your own special touch? Try adding a teaspoon or two of your favorite flavors like an orange Grand Marnier or minty cordial. Endlessly versatile, it can be as special as those meant to enjoy it.

MAKES 8 servings

Chocolate mousse ingredients

MOUSSE INGREDIENTS

3 eggs, separated (room temperature)
⅓ cup sugar
2¼ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Pinch salt

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1 cup whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh raspberries (optional)
Chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

 

Warming cream in a saucepan

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy and light yellow.

2. In a saucepan, warm 1¼ cups of cream until just beginning to steam. Remove from the heat and stir in the finely chopped chocolate and stir until smooth.

3. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the warm (but not hot) chocolate sauce until fully incorporated. Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form

Folding egg whites into the chocolate mixture

5. Fold in ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the texture before gently folding in the remainder until mostly incorporated. (A few white streaks of foam are
fine—don’t overmix.)

6. In a large bowl, whip 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture just until no streaks remain.

7. Fill decorative glasses or ramekins and chill for 4 hours or up to 2 days. (Loosely cover each glass with plastic wrap to prevent the formation of a skin from drying out.)

8. Whip 1 cup of whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form

9. Pipe the cream on top of each serving of chocolate mousse and decorate with chocolate shavings and raspberries to taste.

PRO TIP: The secret to perfect whipped cream? Be chill. Cold cream, a chilled mixing bowl, and quick mixing (to prevent it warming) will create a more stable, long-lasting cream for piping.

 

Photos: Kellira Media