Rich bittersweet chocolate and sweet grand marnier make this silky mousse the perfect indulgent dessert for the one you love.
We spent Valentine’s weekend with my mother in Winnemucca. It was a great long weekend spent just “hanging” out. We both love mellow weekends that require no agenda and this was just that. No errands, no chores, no cooking, just quality time with the ones you love.
Don’t get me wrong …. I love to cook but when someone else offers I love it even more. My mom treated us to two great home cooked meals. Now even though I was getting a break from the kitchen, I was still itching to make something so I offered to make dessert. I really had no idea what I was going to make, until I was at the grocery store and scoured my emails for some inspiration. The first bit of creativity came from White on Rice Couple for a Valentine’s Chocolate Mousse. I did improvise a bit as I was in the middle of no-where and could not get all of the ingredients. Now … I have to say, plan ahead, while it is fairly easy it does take some time to make. Whether it is for a special occasion or for no reason this mousse is perfect!
Recipe: Chocolate Mousse
*inspired from White on Rice Couple
Chocolate Mouse Components
Whipped Cream Base
1 cup heavy cream
Swiss Meringue
3 egg whites
4 tablespoons sugar
Chocolate Base
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons grand marnier
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
Egg Yolk Base
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons corn syrup
Whipped Cream Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Optional
Strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries for garnish
- Whip the 240 ml of heavy cream for the mousse to stiff peaks and set aside in the fridge.
- Combine the second listing of heavy cream, vanilla extract and brown sugar and whip to stiff peaks, cover and set aside in the fridge until serving.
- Heat a large saucepan of water until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Make Swiss Meringue. Combine egg whites and granulated sugar in a bowl small enough to set over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly to keep egg whites from cooking, heat until temperature reaches 140º F. Remove from heat, pour into your mixing bowl and whip until meringue is completely cool. Set aside.
- Make chocolate base. Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over the simmering water until melted. It will be very thick, slowly had water water to loosen it up. Whisk until very smooth, add grand marnier. Set aside and keep warm, I kept it on the stove top, away from heat.
- Make egg yolk base. Whisk egg yolks in your mixer until broken up and light yellow. Heat corn syrup to a boil. Slowly add to the egg yolks, whipping constantly. Whip until thick and fluffy.
- Fold chocolate base into egg yolk base and gently fold until incorporated. Next, fold in the plain whipped cream until incorporated. Fold in Swiss meringue until incorporated. Store chocolate mousse in fridge until ready to dish and serve.
- We served small dishes of mousse garnished with a small dollop of cream and fresh raspberries. You can also alternate layers of cream, mousse and berries as White on Rice did.
- Serve.
- Eat.
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