aste
a good Chocolate Mousse and you will be a fan forever. Mousse
is the French word for 'froth' or 'foam' and we define a mousse as a rich, light,
fluffy, creamy and smooth confection that can be sweet or savory. Sweet
dessert mousses are mainly served cold with popular choices containing melted
chocolate (white, milk, and dark) or else
fruit purées (gelatin is often used to set the mousse).
While a simple
chocolate mousse may be just a matter of folding melted chocolate into whipped
heavy cream or beaten egg whites and yolks, this delicious mousse uses a
combination of melted chocolate, a sugar syrup, egg yolks, and heavy cream.
This produces a silky, smooth textured mousse that
makes a very elegant dessert. I love to serve this dessert in long
stemmed wine glasses, garnished with shaved chocolate and maybe a few fresh
raspberries. As always, when making a chocolate dessert the flavor of the
chocolate takes center stage so use a good quality
bittersweet or semisweet chocolate that you enjoy eating out of hand.
Chocolate Mousse: In a
medium-sized stainless steel bowl set
over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Set aside but keep the bowl over the warm water
so the chocolate will stay slightly warm.
In the bowl of an
electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered,
until needed.
Place the egg yolks in a
large heatproof bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan,
combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Boil until the sugar
dissolves, a minute or two. This produces a sugar syrup. Then, whisking constantly, pour
the boiling syrup over the egg yolks. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering
water and whisk constantly (can use a hand mixer on low speed) until the mixture is thick and
light in color. This
mixture should be hot to the touch. (About 10 minutes)
Remove the bowl from the
heat and, working quickly, scrape the egg mixture into a clean large bowl of
your
electric mixer. On medium speed (or with a hand mixer) beat until the
volume has doubled and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch.
Turn speed to low, and beat in the warm melted chocolate until well
combined. Fold in half the reserved
whipped cream and then
fold in the remaining
cream. The mixture should resemble softly whipped cream. This can be used
immediately or refrigerated, covered, until needed. If the mixture seems a
little runny, the chocolate may have been too warm, but after refrigerating for
an hour or so, it will firm up. Can be made and refrigerate a day ahead of
time.
Makes about 3 cups.
Makes 4 - 6 servings or
it is enough to fill one 9-inch (23 cm) layer cake.
Adapted
from Spago Desserts by
Mary Bergin and Judy Gethers
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