Sorry I haven't been posting. Not much going on really. It is my favorite boyfriends birthday this month so today I am making him a special dinner because he doesn't want any presents. He already bought himself several games from Steams summer sale so those are his presents to himself I guess. Hes a weirdo I know.
Tonight I'm making him some rib-eye steak, baked potatoes, creamed spinach (for me, maybe recipe to come later) and chocolate mousse for dessert. Its dessert I'm really here to talk about. For a lot of people chocolate mousse seems way too complicated and fancy to make at home and I'm not gonna lie it does take some skill, but you can do it! I made my first chocolate mousse when I was 16 and it was pretty good but I have improved my technique and recipe and I'm going to share it with you.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe:
2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
First, you need some quality ingredients. I recommend ghirardelli chocolate semi-sweet in chips or a bar that you cut very fine. Any fine semi-sweet chocolate will do just remember not to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate and to use a chocolate that you would like to eat plain. If you don't like to eat it straight up you won't like it in a mousse. Using dark or milk chocolate will affect the texture of your mousse because of the varying amount of cocoa solids/butter ratio. If this all confuses you just take my recommendation and use ghirardelli semi-sweet.
Now that you have your chocolate you need some heavy whipping cream. No substations on this. Don't try to use regular cream or half and half or milk or anything like that. Heavy whipping cream! Also, make sure it is chilled and that your bowl is chilled that you'll whip it in later.
Last but defiantly not least you'll need some good quality vanilla or other flavoring agent. I use vanilla usually because I am adding peanut butter to the serving cups and any other flavor would be weird but you can add many things. A little instant espresso powder is good. (Be sure to dissolve it is the hot cream mixture.) 3 tablespoons amaretto, 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or 2 tablespoons Cognac whisked into the custard is good as well.
Now that you have all your ingredients here is what you do:
Heat 3/4 cup cream in a heavy saucepan until its
hot. Not too hot! Just hot enough to be steaming and uncomfortable to touch.
Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined well, then add the hot cream in a slowly.
Pour the mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderately low
heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 150°F on thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer it takes about 2 mins on medium to get to temperature. Pour the
custard into a bowl and stir in the vanilla. (or other flavor additive) Add the chocolate to the hot custard mixture and stir until its melted.
Put it in the freezer to cool. Stir it after 5 mins and check the temp. it should be cool but not cold.
Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined well, then add the hot cream in a slowly.
Whip egg yolks, salt and sugar.
After adding the hot cream.
Nice chocolate custard. Yum!
Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an
electric mixer until it has stiff peaks. Don't under beat your cream. This is the death of many a mousse.
Whisk one fourth of
cream into the chocolate custard to lighten it up, then fold in remaining cream
gently! but thoroughly. Never stir! This will pop all the bubbles you just spent all that time whipping up.
I added my vanilla to the cream because I forgot to put it in the custard.
Then take the egg whites you have left and beat them up too. Stiff peaks for these as well.
Before.
After. Thems fluffy egg whites!
About this much cream.
Lightened custard.
Added the cream in 2 more parts.
Now add egg whites in the same manner as the cream. You don't need to add all the whites to this recipe. Just add in small scoops until you get the flavor and texture you want. I added two large scoops. Thats about 2 1/2 whites.
Whites!
Spoon mousse into glasses or
ramekins and refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room
temperature about 20 minutes before serving.
Heres where I get fancy! Im a classy lady guys. Like, SO classy. So plain ramekins will never do for me. Plus, Sean really like peanut butter. Here is what you do.
Take some fancy glasses. (I'm sure you have some wineo) then get some peanut butter, a spoon and a plastic bag.
Heres where I get fancy! Im a classy lady guys. Like, SO classy. So plain ramekins will never do for me. Plus, Sean really like peanut butter. Here is what you do.
Take some fancy glasses. (I'm sure you have some wineo) then get some peanut butter, a spoon and a plastic bag.
Supplies for fanciness!
Spoon peanut butter into the corner of the baggie.
Microwave for 10 seconds.
Cut a small hole in the corner.
Now you swirl the peanut butter in those glasses like a boss! Look at how fancy that is!
SO classy. Any man will be amazed! Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate?
Now go forth and make a dessert fit for a classy lady!
Delilah takes care of clean up. If you don't have one of these I guess you can use a dishwasher...
