Chocolate Mousse

I used to be initimidated at the thought of making Chocolate Mousse, it just looks so fancy smancy and the French recipes that I'd read applied difficult technique that I hadn't yet mastered. Then a friend gave me this recipe with a smile and said, trust me, you'll be fine. Still the sceptic I sought out to prove her wrong, but alas, she wasn't. It is amazingly easy when you know how! The whole process pulls together in under 15 minutes, chill for an hour and then relish the fruits of your piddly labour.

10½ oz good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces (300 g)
2 small pinches sea salt
8 large free-range eggs
3½ oz raw cane sugar (100 g)
1¼ cups heavy or whipping cream (300 mL)
2½ oz liqueur (Cognac, Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Amaretto) (75 mL )
2 Tbsp. good quality cocoa powder

Garnish:
cocoa powder for dusting
whipped cream
chocolate shavings
fresh fruit

Place the dark chocolate and a tiny pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl and sit it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Leave to slowly melt, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, separate your eggs so you have the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.

Add the sugar to the bowl of yolks and beat until the sugar has dissolved and it is silky and smooth.

Whisk the whites with a tiny pinch of salt until they form soft peaks - you should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head without them falling out!

In a third bowl, beat the cream until slightly thick and just whipped.

Once the chocolate has melted, carefully lift the bowl out of the pan. Add the liqueur of your choice (if desired) and the cocoa powder to your bowl of yolks and mix well. Add the cream and mix again, then fold in the melted chocolate until it’s well combined and a gorgeous colour.

Finish by adding in the egg whites, then keep folding, from the outside in, in a figure eight motion until the mix is smooth and evenly coloured.

Spoon or ladle the mousse into a big serving bowl or divide between little glasses or cappuccino cups and pop in the fridge for an hour or two until set.

Just before you’re ready to serve, give the mousse a lovely dusting of cocoa or decorate with whipped cream, chocolate shavings or fruit.

Makes 10 servings.

Cook's Notes:  You can use replace the dark chocolate with milk or white, just use less sugar, unless you like it really sweet.