Chocolate Mousse

Well, who needs an introduction to Chocolate Mousse? If I ever come face to face with the culinary genius who made this (sometime in the afterlife), I will surely give him/her a curtsy bow, fit for royalty. Mousse is said to have originated in France, but quickly gained popularity in the Americas and the rest of Europe because of its irresistible taste and soft texture. Mousse in French means foam and as its name suggests this decadent dessert is made by foaming (whipping) eggs, heavy cream and of course chocolate.

Hubby and I still have a laugh when we remember the incident of a server, who could not pronounce the word mousse correctly. In Manipal, there was a cafe called Cosmo, which served yummy Mousse. We went there often to enjoy it, but even more to hear the server there call it Mouse-a :)

Now for the recipe:

Ingredients
•Bittersweet Chocolate/ Dark Chocolate: 100 grams
•Unsalted butter : 1 tbsp
•Heavy Whipping Cream: 1 cup
•Sugar: 2.5 tbsp or as per taste
•3 egg whites
•3 egg yolks

For Decorating
Optional: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings

Kitchen Items Required
•Bowls: To whisk the egg whites, melt chocolate, for yolks
•A mixing bowl to combine everything together
•Pan ( for water bath )to melt chocolate
•A whisk/ hand mixer /electric mixer
•Spoons
•Serving bowls: 4

Method

1)Using a mixer or a whisk, whip the cream well till it forms soft peaks. Refrigerate it.
2)Place water in a pan and let it become warm. Now place a bowl in it and add in the chocolate chunks and butter. Melt the chocolate and butter by stirring vigorously till the mixture is smooth. Do not overheat the mixture. It needs to be just warm, not too hot. Once molten, allow to cool slightly.
3)Add the yolks to the chocolate butter mixture. Make sure the temperature is cool enough so the yolks don’t cook in the chocolate. If the chocolate is hot, wait till it cools down to add the yolks.
4)In a separate container, whisk the egg whites mixture till it starts thickening. Slowly add in the sugar and continue whipping till soft peaks form.
5)Carefully follow this step: To the chocolate butter yolk mixture, add the egg white mixture. Slowly fold it in, do not stir vigorously to avoid the mixture from diluting, losing the mousse consistency. Now add in the cold whipped cream you prepared in step 1, spoon by spoon, gently folding it in. Do not and I repeat, do not, be in a hurry.
6)You can then spoon the ready mousse into serving cups. I was able to make 4 full cups using the above measurements. Refrigerate for 8 hours to completely set.
7)As an optional step, before serving , you can add in some whipped cream and chocolate shavings as decoration.
Note:
a)The two most important aspects of this recipe are 1) the temperature of the chocolate before the yolks are added in
2) the way the different mixtures are slowly folded together. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to delicately fold in the whipped cream, so it does not lose its volume. If you fail this step, you might as well be eating chocolate milk shake instead of chocolate mousse the next day
b) Raw eggs are used in the recipe. If you have concerns about this, you could use pasteurized eggs which are readily available in any American supermarket. I am not sure if these are available in India. I think they should be.
c) If you are planning this dessert for a party, it should be made a day in advance, so it can nicely set in time for the party. This is a make ahead dessert. Do not make this if you want an instant dessert.
d)This is a fantastic dessert to make for your valentine. And in this case, don't forget to add in a liquor( Kahlua would be amazing) for that additional zing. You may also use a nice heart shaped serving bowl for additional effect :)