Desserts
French
FrenchChocolate Mousse
A silky chocolate mousse shown three ways. The basic uses a clever chocolate-and-whipped-cream shortcut, while the ultimate is a classic French mousse with a glossy bittersweet base and a whisper of liqueur.
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Contains alcohol
Ultimate version
A classic French mousse au chocolat with single-origin chocolate, espresso and a splash of Cognac.
Per serving£2.45
Total cost£9.80
Time43 min
Ingredients for 4
- Mousse
- 200 g single-origin dark chocolate (70% cocoa) , finely chopped
- 50 g unsalted butter , cubed
- 4 free-range eggs , separated
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 30 ml brewed espresso , cooled
- 20 ml Cognac
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- To serve
- 100 ml double cream , lightly whipped
- cocoa nibs , to garnish
Method
- Melt the chocolate and butter gently over a bain-marie until glossy, then stir in the espresso and Cognac and remove from the heat.
- Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until the mixture is thick and shiny, then leave to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, adding the sugar gradually to form a firm, glossy meringue.
- Fold a third of the meringue into the chocolate to loosen, then gently fold in the rest in two further additions.
- Pipe or spoon into serving glasses and chill for at least 6 hours to set fully.
- Top with a quenelle of softly whipped cream, a scatter of cocoa nibs and a few flakes of sea salt to serve.
Equipment
- bain-marie
- stand mixer
- piping bag
The three ways, side by side
Budget
An easy no-egg mousse from melted chocolate folded through whipped cream.
Better
A proper whipped-egg mousse using good dark chocolate for a lighter, richer set.
Ultimate
A classic French mousse au chocolat with single-origin chocolate, espresso and a splash of Cognac.
