Featuring the light and fluffy texture of whipped cream and the richness of melted chocolate, many people never eat Chocolate Mousse unless it is ordered in a restaurant. However, if you can take your time and follow our steps, you can create this delicious dessert in own kitchen.
This recipe begins by whipping cream. To get the most volume in your whipped cream, you should refrigerate your mixing bowl and mixer beaters before you get started. The colder the better, so place these items in the fridge for up to an hour before you begin.
You will want to whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. Do not beat the cream past this point, or you risk turning the whipped cream into butter! A stand mixer is perfect for this step, but pay close attention to the cream as it is being beaten so that you don’t whip it too long.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Many people only enjoy a rich and decadent chocolate mousse when they go to restaurants. Featuring a light and fluffy texture with a chocolatey richness, Chocolate Mousse is perfect to go with seasonally fresh berries and whipped cream. Don’t be intimidated by a dessert-like Chocolate Mousse. With our step-by-step recipe, you can accomplish this delicious treat.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Medium-Sized Bowl
- Double Boiler or Glass Mixing Bowl
- Medium-Sized Pot
- Wire whisk
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Bittersweet Baking Chocolate or a mixture of semisweet and bittersweet
- ½ cup Water divided
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 pcs Egg Yolks
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, in a bowl that has been chilled, beat the heavy cream at high speed until soft peaks are formed. Set the whipped cream in the refrigerator until it is needed. To add maximum height to your whipped cream, refrigerate the bowl and mixer beaters until they are very cold.
- Using a double boiler or a glass mixing bowl placed on top of a smaller pot heat water in the bottom of a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
- Put the top pot (or the mixing bowl) in place and add the chocolate and half of the water. Add the butter and gently let the chocolate melt. Whisk these together until a smooth, chocolatey mixture is formed with no lumps. Remove this mixture from the heat and set it aside.
- In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, the rest of the water, and the sugar. Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly. Use a cooking thermometer to test the mixture and cook it until the temperature reads 160 degrees. Be patient as the mixture cooks and continue to stir. The eggs will curdle if you try to turn up the heat or stop stirring.
- Remove the egg mixture from the heat and pour this mixture into the chocolate mixture. Whisk this mixture until it is smooth, with no lumps. Add the vanilla.
- Create an ice bath by putting ice water in a mixing bowl that is large and deep enough to hold the chocolate and egg mixture. Put the pot into the ice bath and stir to cool the mixture. This should take five to ten minutes.
- Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and slowly fold the cream into the chocolate mixture. If you do not think that your pot will hold the whole mixture, feel free to move the mixture to a larger mixing bowl.
- Take your time and do not beat or rapidly stir this mixture, or you risk collapsing your mousse. You want as much air as possible to stay in the mixture to ensure the finished product is light and fluffy. Use a large rubber spatula to perform this step.
- Divide the chocolate mousse into four dessert cups and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.
Notes
As you shop, you may notice several cartons in the dairy aisle that have similar-sounding names. Heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, light whipping cream, and half-and-half are all things that you might see. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are essentially the same things, having a minimum of 36 percent or higher milk fat.
Light whipping cream has 30 to 35 percent milkfat. Half-and-half contains between 10 and 18 percent milk fat. For this recipe or for other whipped cream recipes, only heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or light whipping cream will work.
Half-and-half is not going to whip up into light, fluffy mounds, no matter how much you beat it. Heavy cream and light whipping cream both beat up into tasty fluffiness, but because the heavy cream has a greater percentage of fat in it, heavy cream will make richer mounds that hold their shapes much longer than the light whipping cream will.
Our recipe uses bittersweet baking chocolate. You could probably substitute semi-sweet baking chocolate if you want a less rich but sweeter mixture, but do not use chocolate chips. They will not melt as well and will affect the final texture of the chocolate mousse.
Our recipe calls for you to pour the final product into individual serving cups. If you prefer to put the mousse into a single serving dish from which you can spoon out individual servings, that is fine too. You simply will have to scoop out the dessert into cups when you are ready to eat it.
This recipe is a little finicky with several steps about which you have to be careful. However, if you take your time and do not get in a hurry, you will be able to create a delicious chocolate mousse that you will be proud to serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
