Chocolate Mousse!

I’ve begun preparations for the party I’m having this weekend, and the birthday girl requested that we have chocolate mousse for dessert.  I almost always make dessert ahead of time (though it’s awfully nice to take a batch of brownies or a pie out of the oven partway through dinner-it makes for fun dinner drama.)  Anyway, I’ll prepare dinner tomorrow, but tonight it was chocolate mousse prep time!

ONE thing many of my friends know about me is that I adore Julia Child-from her boeuf bourguignon to her cooking videos and books, I simply love her.  She needs no superlatives from my pen (ahem..keystrokes) so I will be brief in saying that at this point I use her recipes as a jumping off point, and then put my own spin on them.  Case in point, a close cousin of this mousse can be found on page 604 of “Masterinhg the Art of French Cooking,” Childs’ first opus that she penned with her friends Simone Beck (Simca!) and Louisette Bertholle.  When watching the French Chef episode “The Spinach Twins,”a collaboration between Child and Simone Beck, I was struck by the very laid back, attentive, passionate, yet spontaneous nature of Ms. Beck.  I suppose some might say that I am an admirer of Julia in my heart, but I am almost more of a Simca-like cook in my style and approach. That will be made fairly clear by the method I use to arrive at this mousse, as I have streamlined anything I find unnecessary and take liberties with ingredients and ingredient quantity.

Many chocolate mousses use cream to lighten and give body, and others use egg whites.  This is a version of mousse that uses egg whites.  I would not serve this to children or people who are in some way compromised vis a vis their immune system, but I think for many it is just fine.  I’ll post another version that you can serve to kids (it even has a secret ingredient) at a later date.  Let me know if you try it, and you like it.

Ingredients

6 eggs, separated

¾ cup and 1 tablespoon superfine sugar

A few drops/ tablespoons of orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau (to taste)

9 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter (preferably room temperature)

A dash (about a tablespoon) of Kahlua and a tablespoon of brewed coffee

Pinch of salt (Optional) Pinch of cream of tartar

Method
 

 1. In two bowls separate the egg yolks and egg whites-I just “juggle the yolks one at a time, passing each yoke until the white slides off into the bowl.  Do as you please, of course.  I use two stainless steel kitchen mixer bowls, but I suppose any two bowls would work.  If you have one kitchen mixer and one normal bowl, put the yokes in the normal bowl, and the whites in the mixer bowl.

This is Phillip-San, the Japanese ceramic kitchen turtle.  He supervises me when I'm cooking

2. Beat the egg whites to moderately stiff peaks-just start whisking (slowly at first, then pick up speed.)  Add 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar when the whites are frothy.  If you like, you can add  tiny amount of cream of tartar.  When done, toss the whites into the fridge.

3. Beat the living daylights out of the egg yolks and ¾ cup of superfine sugar.  You need to beat it for a while, say about 5 minutes-you need the mixture to be pale, and for there to be a “ribbon.”  I always talk about the “ribbon” with a hushed voice-please imagine me doing so as you read this.  The “ribbon” (ooh!) should look kind of like a satin ribbon as it falls off the wisk and pools slowly back in the bowl.  Add the orange liquer SLOWLY (you don’t want to mess up the ribbon) and keep beating the mixture until the ribbon has regained it’s full glory.

Ah, the beautiful ribbon.

Mmmm...Grand Marnier has a lovely orange flavor.  If you don't like that, this would be a good place to substitute some vanilla extract.

 4. Over double boiler filled with steaming water, continue to beat the egg yokes by hand for 3 minutes until they are quite warm to the touch, then submerge the base of the bowl in cold water (I just use another big kitchen bowl full of ice water for this one.  This is the part of the recipe I frankly don’t like doing, but hey, it can’t all be fun and games.)

5.  Chop/pour/measure 9 ounces of chocolate (I used Callebaut, but I’ve used toll house chocolate chips and other “non-fancy” chocolate…it almost always comes out wonderfully.) 

Is there anything more heartwarming than a big brick of chocolate?  Never mind, silly question.  Of course there isn't.  Well, maybe chocolate mousse...

Please measure your chocolate.  I was 1/8 ounce over, and I had to eat a piece out of the bowl.  This did not break my heart.

6. Add the 9 ounces of chocolate to a saucepan with the butter.  Put it on the stove on a low heat (don’t worry, the butter will help prevent the chocolate from seizing or burning.)  If you’re nervous about that, start melting the butter in the pan a few seconds before.  If you’re REALLY nervous, use a double boiler-that is the traditional way to melt chocolate on the stove.  You could also microwave the butter and chocolate in 25 second intervals until all is melted. 

7. Add a bit of Kahlua and/or coffee to the chocolate and butter.  Remove the chocolate mixture  and let it cool (no, really, let it cool-that’s really important.  Don’t rush this.)

8. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg yokes and continue beating. 

9. Add about ¼ of the egg whites and stir ferociously (don’t worry about deflating the egg whites, you’re just using this bit to lighten the mousse.)

10. Fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula-sink the spatula into the middle, and turning the bowl, gently fold the whites into the chocolate.  I LOVE this part.

It looks like mousse now!  

 11.  Refrigerate your mousse either in a large serving bowl or in individual portions for 6 hours or so.  This is why one must read to the end of the recipe-you can’t always make and serve something. 

12. Bon appétit!