Project Laduréed III: Mousse au Chocolat

Hi. After such a long hiatus, I'm finally back with the third installation of Project Ladureed - Chocolate Mousse! I missed making cute desserts, so I decided to decorate them like Rilakkuma. Of course, you can present the chocolate mousse as you wish for your eyes to feast on ;)

This is probably the simplest recipe in the recipe book. No baking involved, minimal ingredients, and easy to follow instructions. Furthermore, the active time in the kitchen is short. 

However, I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with how the chocolate mousse turned out. They were not quite as smooth as I expected them to be. Apart from that, the taste is good and is still a great option for anyone looking for a fast and easy recipe! 

For 8 people 

Preparation: 30 minutes

Resting Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

320g Dark Chocolate (70% cocao solids/coverture chocolate)

80g Unsalted butter

8 Eggs

1 Pinch of salt

80g Granulated/caster sugar

Chocolate bar (optional)

Instructions:

1. Using a knife, chop the chocolate on a cutting board and place in a large heatproof bowl (to allow the chocolate to melt easier.) Cut the butter into small pieces and add to bowl. Place over a pan of gently simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter, stirring together. When the mixture has melted, remove from heat and allow to cool to barely lukewarm (18-20 degrees celsius)

2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place in a bowl. Set egg whites aside.

3. Lightly beat the egg yolks to liquefy. Place the egg whites in a large clean, dry bowl with a pinch of salt. Whip to a foam. Once they are white and frothy, add the sugar and continue to whip until firm. 

4. Immediately add the egg yolks, incorporating delicately with a whisk, but do not whisk. Simply start with the whisk in the center of the bowl, work up the sides of the bowl and bring back down towards the center, all the while turning the bowl regularly. This will result in a smooth and homogenous mixture.

5. Incorporate 1/4 of the egg mixture in the butter and chocolate, by gently folding in with a rubber spatula. Pour this entire mixture back over the remaining 3/4 of the eggs, always mixing gently, by starting with the spatula in the center of the bowl, working up the sides and bringing the preparation back down towards the center. 

6. Scoop the mixture into ramekins and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Melt white and dark chocolate and decorate as desired!

Or allow the mousse to firm slightly for 15min in the fridge and transfer into a piping bag with with a star tip and pipe the mousse, forming a rosette on top). 

Alternatively, you could transfer it to a large serving dish, refrigerate, and top with chocolate shavings by scraping the side of a chocolate bar with the back of a small knife. 

Bon appetit!