Chocolate Mousse

Source

Ina Garten’s recipe with some alterations

Taste 5 (out of 5)

Difficulty 4 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 6 oz / 180 g semisweet chocolate

- 1/8 cup of water

- 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder

- 1/8 cup raspberry syrup

- 1/2 tbsp brandy

- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, diced

- 4 large eggs, separated

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tbsp icing (caster) sugar

- 1/2 cup cold whipping cream

- pinch of salt

Total 4 servings

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat melt the two chocolate, water, offee powder, raspberry syrup, brandy and vanilla extract. Cool a little and beat in the softened butter. 2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and the 1/4 cup of brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes, until pale yellow. With the mixer on low speed, blend in the chocolate mixture. 3. Combine the egg whites with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff but not dry. Mix half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then fold the rest in carefully with a rubber spatula. 4. In the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon of icing sugar until firm. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mousse into a serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight and up to a week. Place a paper towel under the plastic wrap to prevent the accumulating moisture from dropping into the mousse. 5. Decorate with cranberry sauce and sweetened whipped cream just before serving.

Afterthoughts

- Very nice texture, not too heavy, not too sweet. And a great combination with the tart cranberry sauce.

- If you want the mousse to be presentable, refrigerate it in individual serving dishes - it does not look as nice when you scoop it out.