Light and airy yet rich and decadent, this recipe makes a perfect, restaurant quality chocolate mousse.
People are often worried about using eggs in their mousse because they generally impart a strong flavour which clouds that of the chocolate. However, the use of eggs is important as it provides the richness expected of a good mousse. Since the eggs are cooked in the double boiler, they are safe to consume and this along with the addition of the vanilla essence, removes its pungent odour and flavour.
It is important to use a good-quality whipping cream that holds stiff peaks once whipped or else your mousse will not be light enough and won’t set properly, resulting in a dense, almost watery product.
Granulated sugar has larger crystals which do not melt fast enough. Excess exposure to heat will cause the egg to overcook and scramble. Therefore, use castor sugar or powdered sugar.
Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
60g bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
Method:
Finely chop the chocolate with a serrated knife(as it helps to break up the chocolate into small pieces) and add it into a bowl.
Take a pan of boiling water and set a heat proof bowl over it to create a double boiler. Ensure that the water from the pan does not touch the bowl as this will cause the ingredients to overcook or be cooked unevenly.
Into the double boiler, add the yolks, sugar and the salt and whisk together until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes.
Take the bowl off the heat, and quickly whisk in chopped chocolate until melted.
Then sift in the cocoa (to ensure a smooth mixture), and add the vanilla essence. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is thick and smooth.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. This is important as adding whipped cream to a hot mixture will deflate the cream resulting in a dense and runny mousse.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream until it is able to hold soft peaks.
Whisk half of whipped cream into room-temperature chocolate mixture.
Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate too much of the air that was whipped into the cream.
Pipe the mousse into shot glasses or small cups using a piping bag.
Allow the mousse to set by chilling it in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Top with shaved chocolate before serving.
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