Monday, April 8, 2013

Chocolate Mousse with Ganache


Let's get one thing straight. I'm not afraid of fat. There. I said it. Well, to clarify, I'm not afraid of unprocessed fats. That's why my recipes usually have reduced sugar and *increased fat. Maybe unrestrained would be a better way to phrase that. I never use 'low-fat' or 'reduced-fat' anything. Except the one time I accidentally bought fat-free cheese in college. Shudder. This recipe fully conforms to my desires. With a minimal amount of ingredients, and chocolate and whipping cream being the most 'exotic' ones, you might be able to make this without a trip to the store.


The richness of the ganache would be overwhelming if it wasn't balanced by the delicate mousse. The more you can restrain yourself while folding the egg whites into the chocolate, the bigger the reward. Aim for nearly weightless! Hold yourself back. If you've got some pent up aggression, unleash it while bringing your egg whites to peaks, not with the final folding. You've been warned.

As you plunge your spoon to the bottom of your mug, you'll hit alternating layers of resistance and fluff. Do everyone a favor and leave the mousse as the crowning layer, so the people eating this will be surprised.


Chocolate Mousse with Ganache
Adapted from Around My French Table
Yield: 4 servings

Mousse
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, and at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Ganache
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

For the mousse:
Pour about an inch of water into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place 3 1/2 ounces chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set over simmering water, stirring until fully melted. Remove from heat.

Whisk in 3 tablespoons whipping cream, followed by the egg yolks, one by one, and the vanilla. Don't worry if the mixture thickens alarmingly. You'll thin it out soon.

In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature egg whites by hand or with a stand mixer until soft peaks form. While continuing to whisk, gradually add in the sugar. Keep whisking until the egg whites form medium-firm peaks.

Scoop out about 1/4 of the whites and whisk into the melted chocolate to thin.

Add the rest of the egg whites to the chocolate and gently stir in with a whisk or rubber spatula, being careful not to whip out all the air bubbles.

For the ganache:
Place the remaining 3 ounces of chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over medium-low heat until it steams.

Pour over the chocolate and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.

To assemble:
Scoop a few tablespoons of mousse into the bottom of four glasses or cups and top with a thin layer of ganache. Continue to alternate layers until all the ingredients are used. Think about using tall thin glasses to impress and tiny mugs for a more rustic feel.

If the ganache becomes too thick to pour, quickly reheat it over simmering water to thin.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the ganache to firm up.


Pinit

I've shared this recipe at Rediscover Mom.

21 comments:

  1. I love the description of layers with different textures and flavors. Sounds like a great desert.

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    Replies
    1. It's a little different than your average mousse, so that's what I really loved about it.

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