Chocolate Mousse

I always have some form of chocolate floating around the house, whether it’s cookies, straight up chocolate bars, or ice cream hidden way back in the freezer. One of my favorite chocolate treats is chocolate mousse, which I learned how to make in culinary school by Chef Chris . It’s such a dependable recipe and can be eaten straight with fresh berries, like I have pictured below, but you can also use it to fill cakes and tarts and top cupcakes.

I have made chocolate mousse several different ways, but find this to be the most consistent and versatile. Just know that it shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for an extended period of time, since this recipes has undercooked eggs.

This recipe is very easy to half, yielding approximately 1 quart.  If you are using it to ice a cake, or you just want a huge amount of mousse, I recommend making the full amount.  Use bittersweet chocolate 70% or darker.  Valrhona and Guittard are great brands.  I like to eat it cold, straight out of the fridge with tart berries, like blackberries or raspberries.  

If you are concerned about the raw eggs or you’re making it for someone with a compromised immune system, you can transform this mousse into a souffle-like treat. Preheat your oven to 350F. Make a bain-marie by filling half-cup heat-proof ramekins with the mousse. Now, place the filled ramekins in a larger baking dish with high sides.  Fill the baking dish with enough hot water so it goes half way up the outside of the ramekins and bake for 20 minutes until they puff up like a soufflé.  It has a light consistency, super chocolatey, and delicious.

Chocolate Mousse Two Ways

(Has raw eggs!)

Yield: approximately 2 quarts

28oz bittersweet chocolate – chips or a block chopped up into small bits

6 eggs – separated/room temperature

2 cups heavy cream – fridge cold

½ c + 2 Tbsp sugar

1.     Set up a double boiler by adding about 2” of water in a pot and bringing it to a boil.  Once it boils, lower to a simmer and place a large clean heat-proof bowl on top.  Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water – this can cause the chocolate to scorch.  

2.     Add the chocolate chips/bits and stir to melt.  Make sure no water gets into the chocolate (not even one drop!) or it will seize.  Once melted, turn off the heat and set the chocolate and double boiler aside.

3.     In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk cream to soft peaks.  Remove cream from the mixer bowl and place in a separate bowl.  Set aside.  Thoroughly clean and dry standing mixer bowl and set up with the whisk attachment for the eggs.  If there is any fat/oil in the bowl, the eggs won’t form stiff peaks.

4.     In the cleaned standing mixer bowl, whip egg whites until frothy with the whisk attachment.  Add sugar in a slow and steady stream and continue to beat until you get stiff peaks.

5.     In a fourth bowl, us a fork to mix egg yolks.

6.     Now you have 4 bowls: 1. Chocolate, 2. Whipped cream, 3. Egg whites, 4. Yolks.

7.     With a rubber spatula, gently fold half the egg whites into the chocolate, then the yolks, then the rest of the whites.  Make sure you don’t have any lumps.

8.     Finally, fold in the cream using a rubber spatula.  Be gentle, you want to keep as much volume as possible.

9.     Cool completely in the fridge to firm up.  If using to ice a cake, complete cool mousse in fridge before icing and know that the cake should be chilled again until just before serving.