Have you ever tried whipping up something so delicious that after taking a taste of it, you refuse to share it with people around you. You wonder to yourself… How can anything I whip up taste so darn good. Truth is- there were such moments. And it is during such moments that you feel a pang of regret, a wave of guilt that you did not share that dessert with someone who will appreciate it as much as you do.
Julia Child’s perfect chocolate mousse is indeed perfect by all means. She’s a food diva btw. How could anything go wrong with her recipes. I first chanced upon this recipe by doing my daily blog surfing at David Lebovitz’s site. Yeah I’m a true follower of his blog, books and recipes haha. This mousse is chocolatey, rich and simply heavenly.
I made 2 bottles of it and reserved the remaining for my chocolate cake ( Which was to be shared by the group of lovelies coming over for dinner). It is probably the best freaking thing to add as a layer btw your cake because it just melts in your mouth and complements whatever ( I mean it) cake you make. However if you’re a perfectionist and looking for that clean cut for your cakes, you might be a little disappointed.
But nevermind the sloppy cake like below, its time to indulge and dig in before it’s gone!!!
Serves 6-8 Servings
Chocolate Mousse (Adapted from David Lebovitz)
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces (170g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup (60ml) dark-brewed coffee
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup (170g), plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons (30ml) dark rum
1 tablespoon (15ml) water
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Heat a saucepan one-third full with hot water, and in a bowl set on top, melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring over the barely simmering water, until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
3. In a bowl large enough to nest securely on the saucepan of simmering water, whisk the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, rum, and water for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, like runny mayonnaise.
3. Remove from heat and place the bowl of whipped egg yolks within the bowl of ice water and beat until cool and thick, as shown in the photo above. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape. Whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla.
5. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated, but don’t overdo it or the mousse will lose volume.
6. Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl or divide into serving dishes, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
Storage: The mousse au chocolat can be refrigerated for up to 4 days
Do comment in the post below or tag me on Instagram: @sherbakes if you attempt your very own. Would love to share your joy in baking adventures
