Rich and Easy Chocolate Mousse
The most rich and decadent chocolate mousse—with just 4 ingredients.
When I was 9 years old, all I wanted for my birthday was baking goods. When I woke up, my father had put a giant woven basket on the dining room table with boxed cake mixes, brownie mixes, and the most memorable: powdered chocolate mousse mix. The chocolate mousse turned out to have a chalky texture and was overly sweet, lacking the necessary rich chocolate taste—which I didn’t realize at age 9 because…any chocolate was good chocolate.
When I moved to Paris in 2015, one of the first times I picked up lunch at the local Franprix (a food market), I grabbed a small glass jar of chocolate mousse to eat after my ham and butter sandwich. Eating that chocolate mousse from that jar was like one whole minute of ecstasy. I may have even licked the jar, which is so un-french/unhuman, but I did it and I have no regrets. My boyfriend always makes fun of me when I eat a really good dessert that leaves a trace behind because I subconsciously take my finger and wipe up any leftovers on the plate and eat it—I am somewhere between a human and a squirrel/piglet.
It wasn’t until my boyfriend made chocolate mousse in our new apartment that I developed the absolute need to perfect homemade chocolate mousse (my boyfriend is a chef for one of the best hotels in Paris, I might add!) I had so many questions for him. Cocoa powder or melted chocolate? Egg whites and/or whipping cream? Which type of sugar? His reaction to adding cocoa powder to the mousse was strong enough for me to NEVER ask him about adding cocoa powder to chocolate mousse again. I learned that chocolate mousse should always be made using high quality melting chocolate, as cocoa powder will give it a chalky texture, you should use whipped egg whites AND whipped cream, and you should use normal white sugar.
Jan aces chocolate mousse every time he makes it. I have had my share of struggles, but I am happy to say that I am now slightly above-average in the chocolate mousse game.
Scroll down for the recipe.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Mousse
Katherine in Paris
Rich and Easy Chocolate Mousse
The recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 2-3 hours
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes - 3 hours 15 minutes (mousse must sit in fridge to set)
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6-8 people
Keywords: chocolate, chocolate mousse, french mousse, French dessert
Ingredients
350g of eggs (6-7 eggs)
100g or 1/2 cup sugar
350g/12oz dark melting chocolate (use a rich chocolate)
150g or 2/3 cup whipping cream
Instructions
Start by preparing the bain-marie (placing a bowl with the chocolate over a pot of boiling water). It is important to not melt the chocolate directly over a flame. The chocolate risks burning and not having a smooth and silky texture.
One the chocolate is melted, turn off the stovetop and let is sit while you start preparing the eggs.
Take your eggs and separate the yolks and the whites into two different bowls.
Start by whipping your egg whites. You can use a standing mixer or a hand mixer. ( I actually whisk by hand because we had yet to get a KitchenAid for our new place!) Whip them until they are glossy and hold their shape in the bowl.
Then in a second bowl, whip your whipping cream until it holds its shape in the bowl.
Grab a whisk and place it nearby the bowl of yolks (you will need to use it very soon).
Take the sugar and combine it with the egg yolks. Whisk until they are well combined.
Take the melted chocolate (make sure it is all still liquid) and pour it into the egg yolks. Whisk, whisk, whisk!!! There should be no clumps.
[If there are clumps, reheat the mixture over low heat and continue whisking until smooth.]
Combine a bit of the chocolate mixture in the egg white bowl. Once it is loosened, you can combine the rest of the chocolate mixture and whisk it into the egg whites. Do not worry about the egg whites losing air while being whisked.
Once they are combined well, add the whipped cream to the bowl.
Fold the whipped cream into the mixture until they are well combined.
Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. When you pour it in, you will see the mixture expand and look fluffy and smooth. After setting in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, it will be ready to serve!
Enjoy!
