This chocolate mousse is good stuff. It’s rich, decadent and immensely satisfying.
My already weak photography skills utterly failed me the day I made this, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say that it looks and tastes impressive but comes together in about the time it takes to bake a pan of brownies.
The hardest part is waiting for the finished product to chill before digging in.
That, and doing the dishes afterwards. This recipe does seem to dirty quite a few bowls, but don’t let that put you off. If you can whip egg whites, you can make this mousse. No special equipment required, although a hand mixer and a microwave do make things just a little easier.
Make it for your valentine or make it for yourself, but — and I speak from experience — make sure you have some other chocolate lovers around to share it with. The first time I made it, I ate almost the entire recipe myself.
I ate it for dessert, for an afternoon snack and, I’m not proud to say it, but I even snatched a few spoonfuls for breakfast. That’s what happens when the refrigerator is stocked with a half-dozen parfait glasses of chocolate mousse and only one person in the house likes chocolate.
This time around, I showed (a little) more restraint. But only because I gave most of the mousse away before I had a chance to devour it.
So, definitely make this mousse.
But if you find yourself standing at the refrigerator first thing in the morning, spoon in hand, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Adapted from davidleibovitz.com, where it was adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," by Julia Child.
This mousse contains uncooked egg whites. If that bothers you, I think you can use pasteurized egg whites, although I've never tried this and David notes that some pasteurized whites won't whip properly.
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup dark-brewed coffee
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. You can also do this in the microwave, using short bursts of about 30 seconds. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
In another large bowl (but small enough to fit in the ice bath) combine the egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water and whisk or beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale yellow. Remove from heat, place the bowl into the ice bath, and continue to beat the mixture until it is cool and thick.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
In a separate bowl, add the salt to the egg whites and beat until frothy. Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then gently but completely fold in the remaining egg whites.
Transfer the mousse into individual serving dishes and chill for about four hours. It will set up a bit more as it cools.
https://pleasepassthepeas.com/julias-chocolate-mousse/
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