Chocolate Mousse

A traditional chocolate mousse is served in fine restaurants and deserves its honored place on a French menu. It's creamy, fluffy, and chocolaty (intensely chocolaty). And it offers a rich, velvety mouthfeel for truly comforting food.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 20

Chill Time 5

Total Time 5 20

Servings

Calories 336kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

The Eggs

4 large eggs , separated
¼ cup sugar , divided in half

The Chocolate Mousse

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , finely chopped
2 ounces milk chocolate , finely chopped (replace with bittersweet)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter , cubed
1 teaspoon coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream whipping cream

Chocolate Mousse Garnish

raspberries , optional to serve
homemade whipped cream

Instructions

Separate Eggs

Separate egg whites from yolk and place in two bowls.
Add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is pale and foamy, and a ribbon forms when you lift the whisk. Set aside.

Prepare the Chocolate

Place chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes in 30-second intervals, stirring each time before returning to the microwave until fully melted.
Add coffee granules and vanilla extract and stir until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.

Assembly

Beat egg whites for about 2 minutes, then add in the rest of the sugar and continue beating until egg whites form peaks. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the cream until just combined.
Pour in chocolate into the cream and egg yolk mixture and fold gently. Streaks are okay.
Add ½ of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold gently.
Add in the rest of the eggs whites and fold gently until incorporated and there are no visible white lumps.
Pipe or spoon the mousse into glasses, bowls, or pots. Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

Garnish

When ready to serve, top with extra whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and raspberries if desired.

Notes

The best chocolate makes the best mousse. Since this recipe has so few ingredients, it's worth the effort to make sure they're high quality. So don't scrimp on quality for the main ingredient.
Clean equipment. The slightest bit of oil can keep your egg whites from whipping up perfectly, so make sure your bowl and beaters are ultra-clean.
Whip the eggs to the right point, soft peak. More than that, and it will be hard to fold in the chocolate. (Note: Separate cold eggs, but let them come to room temperature before whipping.)
Note on raw eggs. We eat raw eggs more than we may realize. I've never had a problem with them, but I'm also careful to use clean, fresh eggs and eat this yummy dessert up the same day I make it. If you have a compromised immune system, are pregnant, are very young, or are very old, you may be better off getting pasteurized eggs.
Melting the chocolate. This job needs to be done gently. It's amazing how easy it is to burn the chocolate. I use the microwave to make it easier. However, you can use a double-boiler or a metal mixing bowl set on top of a pan of boiling water. Just make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the mixing bowl.
Folding it all together. This is the time to be especially gentle. Carefully fold the whipped cream and eggs together, so they don't deflate.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition