Recently on the forum, there has been a lot of discussion centered on a simple yet decadent dessert we all know and love: chocolate mousse. It all started when a forum member posted his recipe and then requested that everyone else share their variations.
Well, this innocent little post incited a detailed and at times academically versed manifesto dedicated exclusively to chocolate mousse. In this discussion, another member commented that when committed to smaller scales, chocolate mousse invariably fails to come together properly, and then he suggested that a simple increase in scale should fix the problem.
The moment I read this post, I thought of my mother and her recipe for chocolate mousse which she always made in small batches. In fact, she could make a killer chocolate mousse for just the two of us whenever the craving struck. So, yesterday I grabbed the only discretional bar of chocolate I had on hand (Green & Blacks 70%) and whipped up a batch of chocolate mousse that was surprisingly good considering my limited chocolate options. The mousse was very creamy and never turned so dense that a shovel was needed to dig into it. For a small scale recipe, it’s highly reliable.
So, here’s my mom’s recipe for chocolate mousse, presented with as much resemblance that memory allows:
115g (4oz) chocolate
177ml (3/4 cup) cream
2 eggs, separated; yolks and whites in separate bowls
12.5g (1tbsp) sugar
1. Combine chocolate and cream in a sauce pan over low heat, continuously stirring with a spoon until fully integrated. Remove from heat.
2. Whip two yolks until pale in color, then while slowly beating, add a little chocolate to the whipped yolks to avoid scrambling. Add remaining chocolate mixture, continuously mixing at a slow speed.
3. Combine sugar and egg whites. Whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, scoop into dishes, and refrigerate (covered with foil) for several hours.
So, there you go. That’s how my mom always made it, and unfailingly, she never encountered any problems such as seizing or burning.
As a side note, because the Green & Black’s chocolate was only a 100g bar I was forced to supplement with a bit of Dagoba’s Conacado for the final 15g. For purpose of demonstration, these were perfectly fine! The final flavor of the mousse was vastly different from either of those two chocolates. Although slightly bitter, there were virtually no flavor components detectable in the mousse, only a satisfyingly rich chocolatiness that in my opinion could have been enhanced with some liqueur or fruit. But as it was, it was definitely good enough to eat!
Hans-Peter Rot
[...] recipe is sort of a mix of the pastry technique from Chez Pim’s rustic fruit tart, and the way my French (now former) roommate M does the filling for her delicious caramel apple [...]