Chocolate Mousse

There is nothing more decadent than a well prepared chocolate mousse. Wickedly smooth and marshmallowy, when done properly it's a very satisfying indulgence. It's a big crowd pleaser, but I've also found that if I have an abundance of ramekins of this fluffy stuff I start replacing meals with it.

The initial inspiration came from two sources: the first, upon tasting the chocolate mousse at Trattoria del Arte in New York (highly recommended), the second- to concoct something other than chocolate chip cookies with the semi sweet chocolate chips in my closet. It was perfect. I wanted a cool creamy dessert, and I could make it with the contents of my pantry- chocolate, eggs, cream, vanilla extract and sugar.


I liked the look of Tyler Florence's recipe. Simple. Tasty. Thickened with egg yolks instead of gelatin. I wasn't looking to make pudding, after all.

You start by melting the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. I also added a shot of some leftover coffee, because I've found that coffee sharpens and enhances the chocolate flavor.


Now, mixing in a double boiler is a gentle process. You don't want to burn the chocolate by putting the heat up too high, and one of the keys to a good creamy mousse is to get all the lumps out of the chocolate, so be patient. Stir the chocolate until it gets glossy and all the chips have melted through.

Separate three eggs. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and allow it to cool before adding the egg yolks. You don't want to cook them. Add them one at a time whisking like crazy or using an electric mixer.


In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with a 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Don't overbeat the whites, you want them to form soft peaks. When they have reached the desirable consistency, beat in 1/4 cup of sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.


Then gently- and I mean gently- add them to the chocolate mixture. Use a spatula to fold them in. The best part of chocolate mousse is it's lightness. It get's its air from the whipped egg whites, and its creaminess from the whipped cream you will be adding next. DO NOT OVERMIX.


The whipped creamy is easy to make. Beat 1/2 cup of very cold heavy cream with an electric mixer gradually adding 2 tablespoons of sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.


Add this to the chocolate/egg white mixture. Again. You want to execute this with a delicate hand.


All that's left is to put them into some ceramic ramekins, or martini glasses, or whatever you would like to serve them in and let them chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. If you are feeling extra fancy you can top them with a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate shavings or berries when you serve them. Personally, all I need is my own ramekin and a spoon... and a double batch!