Perfect Chocolate Mousse

I haven't had the best luck making chocolate mousse in the past, with my previous efforts either not setting enough, going lumpy, or simply being too rich to function.  However, when my friend Wes requested chocolate mousse for an afternoon where he'd be helping me out with complicated computer coding, I felt the time was right to give it another go.

Chocolate mousse recipes are everywhere, and I wanted to use a recipe I knew would be reliable.  I based my recipe on Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chocolate Mousse, from the Tyler's Ultimate book.  Rather than using all dark chocolate, I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolates and (accidentally) omitted the butter he includes in his.  And you know what?  It turned out brilliantly!  I was so pleased with it.  It set quickly, had a lovely light texture, wasn't overly sweet, and had just the right amount of chocolate intensity.  This is definitely going to be my go-to chocolate mousse recipe from now on!  I've included my adapted recipe below for your (and my!) reference.

Mousse is pretty easy to make, although there are a few things to watch out for - melting the chocolate, whisking the egg whites and gently folding everything together so that you don't knock out the air.  If you can do those things correctly then you'll have no problem making chocolate mousse!  Although having said that, I think mousse is pretty forgiving, and even if you overbeat it and it becomes dense, you'll still have something pretty delicious on your hands.

I melted my chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, so that it could slowly melt by itself while I looked after the egg whites and whipped cream.  (Be careful not to let any water or steam get in the bowl, or the chocolate will seize!)  You could use any brand of chocolate that you enjoy; I've specified the brand I used below simply because chocolate brands tend to vary in intensity and sweetness, and I really liked the result that these particular chocolates had.

Melted chocolates

Here are my egg whites! As you'll know, to get your egg whites to rise properly, you'll need your bowl and whisk to be scrupulously clean and dry. So, in any recipe that needs whipped egg whites, I always whisk them first in the clean bowl and scrape the mixture into a separate bowl, before using the mixer bowl and whisk for whatever else the recipe requires. (In this case, whipping cream). This way I don't have to re-wash the beater and bowl in between whisking!

Whipped egg whites

Here's the mixture of melted chocolate, egg yolks and whisked egg whites:

Folding together the chocolate, egg yolks, whisked egg whites

Now with whipped cream... I love that it starts to look a lot smoother and glossier with the whipped cream!

Folding in the whipped cream

And finally, here is the mixture in individual bowls. If you're feeling fancy, you could pipe the mixture in pretty shapes, preferably with a star-shaped piping tip. (Remember - spirals of chocolate mousse done with a round tip never look good!)  However, I quite like the billowy look that you get when you use a spoon to drop the mixture into serving bowls. Fellow food bloggers: making mousse is also a great excuse to use whatever little bowls or glasses you bought, thinking: "those would look cute on my blog!"

Spooning into serving bowls

All you need from here is a bit more whipped cream and chopped up chocolate to decorate and you are done!  Enjoy!!

Chocolate Mousse
Adapted from Tyler Florence's Chocolate Mousse, Tyler's Ultimate

Ingredients
85g Lindt milk chocolate
85g Lindt dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 cup thick cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Extra whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

Method
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Set aside to cool a little.
In the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating to soft peaks. Gradually add in the 1/4 cup of sugar, whisking all the while, until stiff peaks form and the mixture is very white and shiny. Scrape the whisked egg whites into a separate bowl and set aside.  Place the cream, vanilla and 2 tbsp castor sugar into the mixer bowl (no need to wash the whisk or bowl; the small amount of leftover egg white won't harm the cream).  Whisk until soft peaks form.
Add the egg yolks to the melted chocolate one by one, stirring well to combine.  Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the egg whites in two batches, being careful not to deflate the mixture.  Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Spoon the mousse between 4-6 serving glasses or bowls, depending on the size of your bowls and how much mousse you feel like eating.  Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, decorate with extra whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Serves 4-6, depending on appetite.