chocolate mousse to ring in the new year

December 31, 2013 By in Chocolate, dessert, Eggs, holiday, Photography Tags: , , , , , , 42 Comments

Here’s a little sweet treat you can make ahead for New Year’s Eve

Chocolate Mousse* in all it’s divinity

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It’s really a simple feat that can be done in less than an hour.

I pulled this recipe out of my old blue book from the little bistro style cafe I had- also called Chez Chloe. All our tried and true recipes are in this book. I’ve thought about doing posts page for page from it.

2013-12-30_001I had to remind myself  from where this recipe was pulled. It is from Anthony Bourdain’s,  Les Halles Cookbook. I love this book. Funny it’s had some mixed reviews but it’s one of my fav’s. I only do about 1-2 T of liqueur vs the 2 oz he calls for in the recipe.

Print Chocolate mousse recipe

So here we go:

Measure 6oz chocolate and put on low heat to melt. I use, as always, Valrhona. 3oz semi sweet and 3oz 70%. Whisk to avoid burning. Once melted remove from heat. You can also bring a few cups to a simmer, place a bowl on top and add chocolate to melt. A little more protection against burning. If you do go commando in the pot- don’t let it burn.

chocolate mousse

Whisk in 2 TB unsalted butter one pat at a time and let cool a minute before adding yolks

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Separate 4 eggs

separated eggs

Whisk in raw yolks, one at a time, into melted chocolate. Yes we are eating raw eggs. But it tastes so damn good you’ll care less. If it grosses you out too much, there are loads of egg free recipes. My family didn’t quite get this fact until I did the second round of mousse for the post.

Then they were like, “oh really”, ew, yuck…then about a second later… oh well. It tastes f….ing awesome. We are an open minded household when it comes to cussing. And if  it is used to express extreme liking of my food, I find it quite acceptable.

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Beat 4 whites with 2 TB sugar. Merinque style (maybe that will be a dance in 2014:). Beat whites to soft peaks then add sugar little by little beating till stiff.

merinque egg whitesWhip 1/2 cup heavy cream. I use Organic Valley. And if you like a really fluffy mousse you can do a whole cup of heavy whipped cream

whipped creamAdd the whipped cream and whipped whites half at a time to the melted chocolate. It will look pretty funky and chunky. Trust me, you’ll get there

chocolate mousse-9Here.

But try to work out all the little lumps and add your liqueur in here. Original recipe is Grand Marnier which though wonderful, I did not have on hand. I had Benedictine (I’m a little weird like that). And I added about 1-2 T. This is where some recipes might call for 1-2 T strongly brewed coffee which is also nice.

chocolate mousseI use a half cup to fill glass goblets

chocolate mousse-11This is about 3/4-1 cup of mousse.

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It’s rich and you could get 4-5 servings. Anthony calls it 4. 
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Wine glasses are fun too

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Now you need to let it set for at least a couple hours. This is the only thing that takes time. You can get your dishes done and prepare other parts of your meal

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Before serving or before guests arrive (they are not required) whip another 1/2-1 cup of  heavy cream for the garnish. I add a dash of vanilla and sweeten with a little powdered sugar or sometimes maple syrup. I use a tall cup to fill my pastry bag.

whipped cream

You could toss the whipped cream on with a spoon. But I like to pipe it with a pastry tip. It’s just a little neater.

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Either a plain tip

chocolate mousse-19Or a star tip

chocolate mousse-21  You can add some chocolate shavings (just grate a little piece of chocolate with a grater)

chocolate mousse

And now you can dig in

chocolate mousseIt’s rich but it’s so creamy and light. It’s the perfect way to end one year and start the next.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2014 be a good one for us all xx

*Eating raw or undercooked foods can cause food borne illness and is to be eaten at the risk of the consumer.  (This is what we had to put on the menu)

PS – Thanks Lisa for the reminder of this well-loved, easy to do dessert. It was a hit at Christmas too!

42 responses

  1. That looks like a fine dessert Wendy. I have no compunction about eating raw eggs. As a youth, when I was sprint training (a long time ago) I used to eat them whole, including the shell. Great calcium intake!
    Happy New Year to you and yours,
    Conor

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    • Hello Glyn, honestly, I forget how easy this is to make and often have most of the ingredients either on hand or easily attainable. My friend does cheese soufle and mousse for new years. I like the idea of fondue. Blogging this morning is giving me too many ideas! Happy New Year to you. wendy

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  3. This is the perfect ending to a New Year’s dinner. We’re having a quiet one this year, but I do think I would make this just for our family! What a beautiful and decadent treat! Wishing you the happiest of New Year’s!! I think it’s so neat that you had a cafe once!

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  6. It was a HUGE Hit at Christmas time! Didn’t hurt that it was made with so much love. Had such a wonderful Christmas with you Wendy… Love Mom

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  7. I haven’t had chocolate mousse in a long time…yours looks delicious. When we lived in Florida, there was a Les Halles restaurant in our town and it was one of my favorites. Wishing you and your family all the best for the new year.

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      • I don’t know if we did or not, we lived in Key Largo and then in Coral Gables…that we where Les Halles was. My daughter spent a day in Winter Park of the Christmas holidays and said how lovely it was. I haven’t been there in years. 🙂

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  12. Chocolate mousse is just so sexy delicious – it’s so sinful to eat … and so is your post here. Quite a while since I made chocolate mousse, only that I will eat it all myself if I make it.
    Grand Finale.. on your blogging year.

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  15. Oh wow! Now this is a dessert worthy of a celebration and New Year! May I just look back to that final shot of that airy, super light and frothy layer of chocolate & cream. Now I know the true meaning of that delicious word, foodporn! Love the sultry shots as it’s spooned into those glasses too.

    Seriously delicious kick starter for 2014.

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  18. I always have to brace myself as your page loads onto my computer screen…I just never know what scrumptiousness is going to blow me away. Well, this one did too! You are such a joy to read and “view”.

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  19. Happy new year Wendy, and what a perfect way to start. I make a similar one but without the cream, I find my dairy allergies kick in with cream, but I could treat myself to a little on top of the mousse 🙂 May 2014 bring many more delights to us all Claire x

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  23. oooh Yum – I may try that soon – I made your strawberry cake a ton of times over the holidays for family – always a big hit. But I made tiramisu for xmas dessert this year – Love that stuff. Have a very Happy New Year Wendy 🙂

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  24. Umm! sounds so good. Love chocolate and cream mixed together. This would be fun to make for my granddaughter’s 4th birthday in one month. I will have to print it out so I don’t forget. Thanks so much for sharing. You’re awesome.

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  25. Pingback: spiced applesauce cake « Chez Chloe

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