With just four ingredients and very little preparation, chocolate mousse is the perfect, effortless dessert for a special occasion
Chocolate mousse was a go-to dessert in the 1960s and 70s but it’s sadly fallen out of fashion these days. However, we think it’s ready for a renaissance, especially because it’s the best minimum effort, maximum satisfaction dessert.
You don’t need many ingredients to make a great chocolate mousse and it can be light, fudgy or creamy. While it’s an easy sweet treat to whip up, there are a few crucial elements to get right that make the ultimate mousse. Follow our top tips and hacks to get it right every time – and take it to the next level.
1. Choose good-quality chocolate
As it’s the main ingredient in a mousse, and chocolate is one of life’s luxuries, we would say to buy the best-quality chocolate you can. You’ll need a chocolate which has around 70% cocoa solids and a lovely loud snap when you break it.
This shows it has been tempered correctly. Tempering is the technique used to lower the temperature of the chocolate in the manufacturing process after it has been ‘conched’, or kneaded. Cheap chocolate just has a dull break, if any sound at all, when you snap it.
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2. Melt chocolate properly
Before melting the chocolate, break it into small pieces. Remember never to melt chocolate over direct heat. Your spoon and bowl must be completely dry too. If steam finds its way into melting chocolate, it will cause the chocolate to seize and stiffen.
The safest way to melt chocolate is in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, without the bowl touching the water, or your chocolate will overheat. High heat is chocolate’s worst enemy, and makes it dry and grainy.
You can melt chocolate in a microwave but it’s very easy to overheat it, so we recommend the first method. Chocolate burns very easily which you will know if you’ve had experience of a bowl of chocolate turning into a lumpy, craggy mess.
3. Loosen the mixture before folding in egg whites
When you’re adding beaten egg white or whipped cream to your chocolate mousse, there’s an easy technique to folding it in. First of all, you need to loosen the mixture. This means adding a spoonful of the beaten egg or cream to the chocolate first, before adding the rest.
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You want to keep as much air in as possible and while some recipes will tell you to loosen with a large metal spoon, try using a metal balloon whisk instead. It’s a quicker technique and keeps more air in. Then the reminder of the egg white or cream is added. The balloon whisk will make it easier to get into the bottom and the edges of your mixing bowl too.
4. Make healthier chocolate mousse
Chocolate mousse at its simplest contains just two ingredients – chocolate and eggs. You don’t need to add cream or sugar so it can be a great option if you’re looking for a lighter dessert that’s still rich in flavour.
This recipe serves four. Melt 110g (4oz) dark chocolate over a pan of gently simmering water. Separate four eggs. Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly, then stir in the egg yolks and mix well. Next, whisk the egg whites until quite stiff, then fold them into the chocolate mixture using the technique with a balloon whisk.
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Turn into four individual glasses or ramekins, or into a larger bowl if you prefer. Leave to set in the fridge overnight or for at least four hours until set.
5. Turn it vegan, add spices, top with berries and more
Once you’ve perfected a classic chocolate mousse, play around with extra ingredients and toppings to take your dessert to the next level.
For a plant-based take, this vegan chocolate mousse is made with bananas, cocoa powder, oat cream and maple syrup. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare and will be ready to serve in just 30 minutes. It’s got all the richness of a regular mousse but slightly healthier – there’s fruit in it after all.
Or perhaps add a Middle Eastern twist. This chocolate and cardamom mousse contains crushed pods which are mixed into the mousse right before chilling, and it’s topped with crunchy, roughly chopped pistachios.
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Raid your pantry for other easy ways to add extra flavour. Try incorporating grated orange zest to the mousse mixture or a little boozy kick. Any dark spirit such as rum and Armagnac work well, or even a splash of Irish cream or coffee liqueur.
For toppings, whipped cream, raspberries or blueberries, grated chocolate, a dusting of cocoa powder, or chopped, toasted nuts add a final flourish.
Lead image: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock