Yesterday as part of an anniversary celebration She Who Must Be Obeyed whipped up one of her signature desserts – this (don’t tell anyone it’s this simple) Big Girl Chocolate Mousse.
We’ve taken to calling it that as we’ve tweaked the amount of bittersweet chocolate in the recipe upwards over the years. This mousse isn’t as cloyingly sweet as many and packs a powerful chocolate punch – remember dark chocolate is indeed good for you.
So is the brandy.
Topped with the first plump, juicy raspberries of the season (yep, almost a full week early this year) and a big dollop of whipped cream, I think this mousse was even better than the cumin-dusted grilled tuna preceding it.
Now that the genuine heat of summer is upon most of us fishers around the country this is the perfect uptown dessert to serve alongside your grilled masterpiece for the 4th.
1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
2 tbsp. Massenez Framboise (raspberry brandy, raspberry liqueur)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Melt. Combine the chips and coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir constantly until melted. Stir in the brandy, remove from heat and cool to room temp.
Whisk. Whisk the egg yolks one at a time into the chocolate mixture, mixing each in thoroughly. Whisk in the vanilla.
Beat. Beat the egg whites until stiff. In a chilled bowl, beat the cream until thickened, gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff.
Fold. Carefully fold the egg whites into the whipped cream; now stir about 1/3 of the resulting mixture into the chocolate. Next fold in the remainder of the egg white / whipped cream mixture; be gentle – you’re looking to hold on to as much volume as possible here. Pour into a serving bowl and chill for at least two hours.
Revel in your creation. Serve with a big dollop of whipped cream and a pile of fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Enjoy.
