Chocolate Mousse
Serves 4-6
This has a few steps and needs to be done several hours in advance, but it’s not particularly difficult and produces a flawless classic. Chocolate mousse may not be new or trendy, but it’s unfailingly popular for a reason – it’s just good.
Ingredients #
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Cognac, or Kahlua (if you’d like a non-alcoholic version – 4 tbsp. strong black coffee, or the finely grated zest of half an orange)
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 4 eggs, separated
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream, halved
- A handful of shelled hazelnuts (for garnish, optional)
Instructions #
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and put over high heat until it begins to simmer. As soon as the water begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium – this is important.
Place the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl and sit it over the water to melt, stirring occasionally with a spatula.
In the meantime, place the egg whites in your mixer bowl and beat at high speed with the whisk attachment, gradually adding the sugar, until the whites hold soft but definite peaks. Transfer the whites to another bowl – rinse off your mixer bowl and attachment, wipe them down, and place them in the freezer.
Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove that bowl from the saucepan of water and mix in the Grand Marnier or other liqueur. Once fully incorporated, mix in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Stir in the egg yolks one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Whisk in ¼ of the egg whites to lighten the mixture, and the gently fold in the rest of the egg whites just until there are no white streaks remaining.
Take the mixing bowl and mixer attachment out of the freezer, and use them to whip the ½ cup of heavy cream just until it holds soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture just until the color is even.
Spoon the mousse into individual ramekins or dessert bowls, cover, and chill for 2-4 hours.
Put the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast them in a medium oven until they become fragrant. Remove them from the oven and dump them onto a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over them and rub them with your hands – this will cause the dark skins to come off. Separate the nuts and discard the skins. When they are cool, coarsely chop the nuts.
Just before serving, whip the remaining cream until it holds stiff peaks. Top each serving of mousse with a spoonful of whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts.