Dark Chocolate Mousse: A Classic French-Style Recipe

While the classic French mousse contains no cream, the American version of the dessert is often made using both egg and cream. A French mousse typically gets its silky smooth richness from egg yolks and its light texture from the eggs whites. Other ingredients in the mix include sugar, quality dark chocolate and from time to time, fruit puree or flavorings such as orange or mint.

To create the light and airy lift often associated with a well-made mousse, egg whites are whisked into a fluffy meringue. The whites are then carefully turned into the other ingredients to combine. Gently folding the clouds of meringue into the chocolate mixture enables the mousse to retain more of the initial volume.

Though chocolate mousse was once the sole domain of fancy French restaurant chefs, the dessert has become common place and increasingly popular in American cuisine. As preparation techniques vary, a mousse can range from the light and fluffy to creamy and somewhat more dense. The following recipe is for a more traditional, French-style, dark chocolate mouse mousse.

It should be noted that there are concerns that salmonella bacteria may be associated with the use of raw egg products. As such, it is highly recommended that home chefs use pasteurized eggs in any recipe calling for raw eggs.

Maya Gold Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
12 ounces Green & Black's Maya Gold Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
8 Eggs, separated
8 ounces unsalted utter, cut into half ounce chunks
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
Melt the butter in double boiler. Add sugar, and chocolate very slowly, stirring gently until smooth. Remove chocolate from heat, making sure not to allow any moisture/condensation to get into the mixture. Set aside and allow to cool slightly, about 3-4 minutes.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, about 15-20 strokes. Stir yolks into the chocolate mixture and combine well.

In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm, but not stiff, peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, taking care to ensure texture/volume remains light. A few white flecks remaining is normal.

Using a measuring cup or ladle, carefully fill individual serving dishes . Chill until set, about 1-2 hours. Optionally, each serving may be topped with sweetened, whipped heavy cream and garnished with either a light dusting of cocoa or chocolate shavings.