Among many popular desserts, mousse tends to grab a lot of attention -- and for good reason. The light and smooth consistency it has can often times take many a consumer by surprise. It might seem quite easy on the mouth at first but can send powerful sensations to the mind when consumed. However, a mousse that provides the best sensations for the brain isn't something that cooks can hack their way through. Therefore, it will require a classical approach.
The following recipe will reveal how to make an authentic Dark Chocolate mousse and should be followed carefully.
But first, for those who skipped over the simple recipe, here's another crash course in mousse logic.
What exactly is a mousse?
Mousse is a type of dessert cream that has an aerated consistency. This is achieved through whipping certain ingredients like egg whites, heavy cream or sometimes both to incorporate air, then folding them into the flavored base. Mousse can be considered a variation of custard, as some recipes start with taking a liquified, flavored base and thickening it with egg yolks before or after it's cooked.
Also like custard, mousses can either be sweet or savory by preference. Typically, a sweet mousse is made with chocolate, though other flavored bases may include foods such as fruit, coffee, vanilla and other spices.
Often times, the mousse is compared to Bavarian cream, a variation to custard that is also made lighter with egg whites or heavy cream. However, there is no molding the former as its consistency is much softer than the latter.
Mousse recipe
A real mousse is no joke when it comes to preparation and can be a little time-consuming.
However, like most desserts, the ingredients don't always have to be completely balanced out and can even be substituted.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 oz granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Fruit and whipped cream for garnish
Directions:
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over a saucepan over low heat, whisking it until no lumps remain. Set to cool slightly. Then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until fully incorporated.
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the beaten whites into the melted chocolate until fully incorporated.
- Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold a small amount of the cream into the mixture until fully incorporated. Do the same with the remaining cream to complete the mousse.
- Seal the mousse and refrigerate for an hour.
- Spoon the mousse into serving bowls topped with whipped cream and fruit.
Serves 8.
