About the Recipe
Chocolate mousse has to be one of my all time favorite desserts. Whether it is served as part of a filling of a cake or cookie or just served straight, I will never give up a chance to savor a good mousse. To me, a good mousse has to have the right balance of moussy-ness ( I know, not a "proper"word) and density. I am not a big fan of anything too fluffy. It has to be both soft and thick at the same time. A staple in the dessert world, you'll find all kinds of mousse combinations out there. I have to say hands down, that the combination of fresh raspberries and chocolate mousse cannot be beat. There is just something about the fresh tart flavor of raspberries, mixed with the rich smooth chocolate of the mousse. It is truly a perfect pairing.
When I was growing up, chocolate mousse was our staple New Years Eve dessert. My mother would prepare this wonderful recipe of chocolate mousse and pears (also wonderfully delicious and something I highly recommend trying. Perhaps a recipe for another time). This year, was no exception. I had to keep traditions alive and make my own version for this years holiday.
What I love about this dessert is that it is super simple to make. It requires few ingredients and doesn't require any fancy kitchen machinery. A hand mixer, a few bowls and a spatula will do the job. You don't even need to "bain-marie" your chocolate. Just melt it in the microwave and it will be just perfect.
The only small requirement, is that you leave yourself enough time to be able to chill it for enough time. So as long as you plan ahead a little, it is easy-peasy. If you want to recreate this exact recipe you will also need to prepare the Praline ahead of time. Also very simple to make and worth the extra step. It just adds a little extra touch to this already delicious dessert. You can find the link for the praline by clicking on the link in the ingredients list, or at the bottom of the recipe card.
Let me know if you try it and what you think! I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
3 eggs (separated)
6-8 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup of Praline
1 cup Fresh Raspberries
Preparation
Start off by finely chopping your praline and chocolate. Chopping up the chocolate will help melt it faster. Place your chopped chocolate into a microwaveable bowl along with the 3 tablespoons of butter and pop it in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring the mixture half way through. If the chocolate is not completely melted keep microwaving 15 seconds at a time until your chocolate has become nice and silky smooth (stirring at each interval). Tip: To make sure you do not risk over cooking your chocolate and burning it, remove it from the microwave when you have little chunks left and just keep stirring. The left over chunks will melt in the rest of the already melted chocolate.
Meanwhile, use two medium bowls to separate your eggs. To the egg yolks, add the sugar and beat until you have a nice creamy mixture.
Making sure your beaters are clean, next beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and beat again until well incorporated and the peaks are glossy smooth.
In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff. Set half aside for the decorating. With a spatula, fold the egg yolk mixture into the remaining whipped cream. Be patient and keep folding, do not be tempted to mix. This will keep your mousse nice and fluffy. Next, fold in the chocolate mixture. Make sure to keep folding until everything is smooth and well incorporated.
Once you have a nice consistency, fold in your egg whites. Again, be gentle and patient and just keep folding. You'll get there, I promise! Once you have a nice smooth chocolatey mixture, it is time to prepare your bowls.
I like using small bowls, like the size of a ramekin. But, you can also use an old jam jar, or stemless wine glass. It is up to you how you would like to present it.
First, sprinkle the bottom of your bowl with a layer of praline. Next add a layer of crumbled raspberries. Top with a layer of chocolate mousse.
Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Once the chocolate mousse has been chilled prepare it for serving. Add a dollop of the reserved whipped cream on top and sprinkle with praline and more raspberries. Serve and enjoy!