Surprisingly simple and with only 5 ingredients, this rich and velvety chocolate mousse is made in the classic French style by whipping egg whites, whipping double cream and folding it through melted chocolate. On a trip to Paris last Spring, we walked for miles to a tiny corner restaurant renown for having "France's best chocolate mousse" - and they weren't wrong. This dish is inspired by that trip.
Total time to make : 20 minutes + chill time
Makes : 4
Ingredients
180g 70% dark chocolate
20g butter
3 eggs
45g caster sugar
150ml double cream
To serve:
Extra whipped double cream (I add a touch of vanilla paste for those beautiful vanilla flecks)
Chocolate shavings
Fresh fruit such as raspberries, strawberries, figs or passionfruit
Dried flowers or rose petals
Dusting of cocoa powder
Method
Start by melting the chocolate and butter together either on a low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Remove from the heat when it's 75% melted, it will continue to melt off the heat. Leave to one side to cool slightly.
Seperate the eggs, placing the egg whites in a mixing bowl and keep the yolks to one side - we'll use these later.
Whisk the egg whites on a high speed until frothy (about 1 minute), then gradually add in the caster sugar. Whisk on high for another minute or so until you have a foamy mixture that holds soft peaks, similar to bath bubbles.
Pour the double cream into a seperate mixing bowl. Use the same whisk (no need to clean) to whisk the double cream for about 3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Set to one side.
Pour the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate and butter mix into a clean mixing bowl. Add in the egg yolks and mix well with a spatula. The chocolate mix should be rich, glossy and quite thick. Add in a large scoop of the egg whites into the chocolate mix and fold through to loosen the mix. Add the remaining egg whites and fold through until just combined (doesn't matter if there's a few streaks of whipped egg whites still). Add in the double cream and fold through until just mixed and even in colour. Be careful not to 'beat' the mixture but gently fold through, this keeps all of the air in to give us a velvety, aerated mousse.
Spoon the mixture into ramekins or glass dishes. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Serve with whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, fresh fruit or dried rose petals.
Good to know
Because chocolate is the main ingredient here and there's only a handful of ingredients - you want to use good quality dark chocolate. 70% minimum keeps it rich, dark and intense in flavour, but think does work with other types of chocolate too.
If you're concerned about the raw eggs, you can use pasteurised eggs. Please note that raw eggs shouldn't be consumed by pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems (the same rules that go for raw fish/sushi).
The aeration we know to love in chocolate mousse is created by whisking the egg whites and sugar. Being careful to fold this in and fold in the double cream (which gives it a velvety, thick texture) keeps the aeration and stops it being soupy.
You can also add 30mls of espresso or alcohol for a twist (add to the melted chocolate).
Best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge, covered with cling film for 2 - 3 days.
Nutritional Information:
(per serving)
567 calories
44g fat, 30g carbohydrates, 10g protein