Amazingly Delicious Chocolate Mousse
A delicate, creamy chocolate dessert.
This chocolate mousse is decadent, each bite is intended to be savored. This recipe is perfect for any special occasion and can be made ahead to easily serve at a party.
Amazingly Delicious Chocolate Mousse
Step 1: Chocolate Mousse Base
To a small saucepan, add:
1/2 cup heavy cream
Set over medium/low heat (2.5/10) and slowly bring to a low simmer, cooking for about 5 minutes. As soon as the cream is put over the heat, continue on.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add:
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Mix on medium/high speed until thickened and lightened in color, about 2 or 3 minutes. The cream will be simmering now.
With the mixer on medium/low speed, slowly drizzle the heated cream into the eggs, pouring in such a way that the cream rolls down the side of the bowl and is quickly incorporated.
The heated cream will temper the eggs - if it is added too fast the eggs will curdle and ruin the mousse - so keep it slow and steady.
Once fully incorporated, return the entire egg & cream mixture to the pot. Return the pot to the stove, and heat over medium/low heat (2.5/10) for about 5 minutes, whisking regularly. Near the end it should come to a very soft, rolling boil. Add:
3 oz chocolate, chopped (60-70% cacao recommended)*
Whisk the chocolate into the egg & cream mixture, continuing to whisk until the mousse base is well blended and thickens.
Transfer the mousse base to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for ~2 hours.
Step 2: Whipped Cream
Two hours later . . .
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
Whip on medium/high speed until cream has thickened.
Check out Fresh Whipped Cream for more information if unfamiliar with the process
Transfer ~3/4 of the Whipped Cream to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Mousse
To the remaining portion of Whipped Cream in the bowl of the stand mixer, add the chilled Chocolate Mousse Base. Whip on medium/low speed until fully incorporated. Transfer the chocolate mixture, adding it to the bowl of whipped cream.
Fold together using a spatula, until smooth. Take your time, it will keep the mousse light and airy. Divide the finished mousse between 8 dessert cups.
Chill until serving.
Brenda’s tips:
Serving size: 8 (1/2 cup) servings or 4 (1 cup) servings
If needed, use an electric hand mixer in place of the stand mixer
*While just about any chocolate can be used in this recipe, the recommended 60-70% cacao will result in the perfect texture and slightly bittersweet tang
Prefer a lighter, sweeter mousse? Increase the amount of heavy whipping cream
Prefer a deeper, darker mousse? Decrease the amount of heavy whipping cream or use an 80-100% cacao bar
Mousse can be made 24 hours prior to serving
Window to B’s kitchen . . .
How to fold the Whipped Cream and Chocolate Mousse Base
3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate craving? Let us introduce you to something we think you’ll enjoy.
Chocolate craving? Let us introduce you to something we think you’ll enjoy. This recipe is inspired by one shared by Good Housekeeping.
3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Step 1: Make chocolate mixture
To a large, microwave-safe bowl add:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao or higher, chopped)
30 marshmallows, standard sized
1/2 cup heavy cream
Microwave on “High” for 2 minutes.*
Stir mixture until smooth.
If the marshmallows have not melted, microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between
Let mixture cool to room temperature, ~45 minutes.
Step 2: Make whipped cream
When mixture is cool, to a medium mixing bowl, add:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
Whip until soft peaks form:
Transfer 1/2 cup of whipped cream to a small bowl and refrigerate (topping)
Step 3: Combine chocolate and whipped cream
Using a stand or hand mixer, whip for ~1 minute:
Chocolate Mixture (Step 1)
Fold in, until fully incorporated remaining
Whipped Cream (Step 2)
Transfer mousse to serving dishes, allocating evenly:
Recommended: 8 (4 oz) ramekins
Refrigerate for 2 hours** or up to 48 hours.
To serve, top with:
Reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream
Chocolate shavings
Brenda’s tips:
Serving size: 8 (4 oz) servings
*You can use the double boiler method to melt the marshmallows, chocolate, and heavy cream together instead of a microwave, if desired
**It’s impossible to require you to wait two full hours . . . this is delicious even if you can’t wait until chilled
Love mousse but prefer a sweeter, mellower chocolate intensity? When preparing the whipped cream, increase the amounts as follows:
3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
Window into B’s kitchen . . .
Chocolate Mousse Pie
This Chocolate Mousse Pie recipe is a super-secret recipe. That’s why you just found it on the internet.
Every Thanksgiving in NYC Brenda would make this pie. You felt lucky if you were able to snag a sliver before it was fully consumed. Sometimes the pie pan would be licked clean (shhhhh, don’t tell Brenda).
Origin: Brenda developed this pie during her high school years. It even won a local pie contest. Keep in mind she grew up in Vale, OR; a very small farm town without a traffic light. This means there was some fierce competition by stay-at-home-mamas, and teenagers who were trying to get out of farm chores.
The only variation to this recipe has been the pie crust. Initially, she used a chocolate graham cracker crust, until succeeding in developing a baked chocolate crust with all the layers of tender flakiness you dream about.
Brenda’s dabbled in making tiny variations to the filling, but the original creation was so good she decided no improvement is needed.
Any chocolate fan* agrees this is the best chocolate mousse pie you’ll ever consume.
*This recipe makes one 9" pie. You might want to go ahead and double it before you even start. One for you and one to share.
Chocolate Mousse Pie
Step 1: Fudge sauce
In a two quart saucepan, combine:
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a mild rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer, without stirring, to soft ball stage (235F)*. Remove from heat.
Drop on top but don't mix yet:
1/4 cup cold butter
Cool to lukewarm (maximum temp 110F)**, then blend at medium speed with an electric mixer until sauce is creamy. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Chocolate pie crust
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together:
1 cup flour
2 tsp cocoa
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Cut in each individually:
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp cold butter, sliced thin
Make a well, add:
1 tsp increments cold water, up to 3 tsp
Fold the water in, mixing as little as possible, until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly press into a ball. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a circle to fit a 9" pie plate. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Whipped cream
In a medium mixing bowl, combine:
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
Whip until stiff. Set aside.
Step 4: Assemble filling
In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Whip the fudge sauce (Step 1) into the cream cheese, mixing until well blended. Fold in the prepared whipped cream (Step 3).
Step 5: Finalize
Spoon filling (Step 4) into cooled chocolate pie shell (Step 2).
Top with:
1 oz chocolate shavings
Chill. Serve.
Brenda tips:
Serving Size: one 9 inch pie
Brenda recommends storing in the refrigerator. This pie will keep for days and days, and the crust never becomes soggy.
12 oz Frozen Whipped Topping (thawed) can be substituted in place of making whipped cream (Step 3).
No thermometer?
*Soft ball test: grab a small bowl and add about 1/2 cup cold water. After the sauce has cooked at a rolling boil for a few minutes and appears to have thickened somewhat, drop a spoonful into the cold water. If you can push it into a ball, the sauce has reached soft ball stage. If it dissolves, the sauce needs to cook longer. Test again after a few more minutes of boiling. The sauce reaching this stage is dependent on variables such as the humidity in your kitchen. Sometimes it can be reached in 5 minutes and at other times it takes nearly 20.
**Lukewarm: this is less critical but can be determined by carefully feeling the outside of the pot of fudge sauce. If it is cool enough to touch without pulling away, the sauce should be cool enough to blend.
This is a super secret recipe, that’s why you just found it on the internet.
Window to B’s kitchen…
Step 1: Whipping the fudge sauce
Step 4: Making the cream cheese mixture
Step 4: Mixing the cream cheese mixture and the fudge sauce
Step 4: Folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese and fudge sauce mixture
Step 5: Creating the chocolate shavings to top the pie with
The final product . . . yum!
