Dangerously Decadent Chocolate Mousse

Live Dangerously: Classic Chocolate Mousse 

When I was about five or six, my parents took me out to restaurants quite a bit. In Toronto in the early '80s, French food was seriously in vogue, and at one of these early dining experiences, possibly the same night my father tricked me into eating rabbit, I had chocolate mousse. It was magic. More chocolate-y than any chocolate I'd had. Light as air, melting and bubbly on my tongue. Luscious, luxurious – words I didn't know at the time. All I knew was that I was in love. And I still am. 

But for some reason, I have hesitated to make it at home. Whether I was worried I wouldn't have my Ratatouille-moment, or I was just plain intimidated by the lengthiness of the recipes I found, I don't know, but I am here to tell you something: Making chocolate mousse is dead easy. 

I made some this morning in 45 minutes while my baby was sleeping. A pretty bold move: nothing tempts the nap gods to punish you more than embarking on something that requires your full focus and attention. You remember Juliette Binoche in Chocolat? I was the exact opposite. The water had been turned off in our building. My kitchen was a disaster. I was under-the-gun to get it all done before Rory awoke. Basically, I had no business even attempting this. But I did it. And it was spectacular!

Before I ever got to the cooking stage, I did my research. This is what I found: whether cook books or blogs, attributed or not, all roads lead to Julia Child. Her Mousselline au Chocolat from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is the foundation of all the best chocolate mousse recipes I referenced. I've further edited and simplified in the recipe below, but in case it still looks too difficult, here's a quick breakdown:

You melt together chocolate, butter (a lot of butter) and coffee. You whisk together egg yolks, sugar and a liqueur of your choice over heat and then over cold. You blend these two mixtures together. You whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt and some sugar until they are glossy but not stiff and fold them into the chocolate mixture. You pour into a pretty vessel and chill. Easy, right? 

It's all about the chocolate.... 

Great chocolate mousse unsurprisingly starts with great chocolate. Does it have to be a fancy brand? Not really. But it also can't be that bag of chocolate chips that's been sitting in your freezer for a year. I consulted Harold McGee's "McGee On Food & Cooking" to read up on the subject. (If you're not familiar with Harold McGee, he's like the Bill Nye of food.) It comes down to the cocoa solids and their varying moisture content dependent on the percentage in the chocolate. So regardless of the recipe, use the percentage/type of chocolate recommended or expect to be sad-face disappointed. Same goes for a recipe that calls for milk chocolate; don't go messing with dark in there and necessarily expect great results. Chocolate mousse recipes call for dark chocolate with between 60 and 70% cocoa. I used a 70% that I ordered online – Cacao Barry Saint Domingue Origine, which comes in small discs for easy measuring and melting. I wanted this mousse to be incredible, so to me it was worth splurging a little. 

And was it ever worth it. Let me tell you friends, I had a moment with that chocolate mousse this morning. And now that I know how easy it is, I'm looking forward to many more.

Classic Chocolate Mousse 
*adapted from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"
Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Chill Time: 3 to 4 hr.

1-1/4 cups (170 g/6 oz) chopped dark chocolate (60 to 70% cocoa)
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup strong coffee 
4 large eggs, separated 
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp super fine sugar, divided  
2 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur (or liqueur of your choice)
1 tbsp cold water
pinch salt 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

In a medium-sized bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt together chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring until combined. Remove bowl from heat; set aside.

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside. 

In another medium-sized bowl set over the same pot of simmering water, whisk together egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, liqueur, and water for approx. 3 min. until the sugar has melted, mixture has thickened, become paler and is the consistency of a runny mayonnaise. Remove the bowl from the heat and place inside the bowl of ice water, ensuring water doesn't get into the egg mixture. Continue to whisk until slightly thickened and cooled, approx. 2 to 3 more min. Remove bowl from ice water and add chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, stirring to combine. 

Whisk egg whites with salt until frothy and just beginning to stiffen. Add 1 tbsp sugar and whisk until thick and glossy but not stiff; add vanilla and whisk just until combined. 

Fold one-third of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Pour mousse mixture into ramekins, tea cups or a vessel of your choice. Chill for approx. 3 to 4 hours until firm.