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Dark Chocolate Mousse
October 6, 2005
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Chocolate combined with spices is how chocolate was first consumed and it is no wonder when you experience this type of recipe. Head Chef, Peter Gorton gave me his own comments on this dish, 'The mousse in a spiced tuille basket was something I came up with for one of my cookery courses and it is now a favourite in the restaurant. The cinnamon and spices go really well together and complement the richness of the dark chocolate'. What a beautiful setting for a perfect chocolate dessert with views over a rolling Devon valley.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS; (4 servings)
Decoration
50g/1 3/4oz white chocolate (See my recommendation)
For the Chocolate Mousse - Makes 14 oz
1 medium egg yolk
1 tablespoon brandy
15g/ 1/2 oz melted butter
2 medium egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar
125ml/4fl oz double cream
175g/6oz dark chocolate, melted and kept warm (See my recommendation)
Spiced Tuilles
25g/1oz butter plus extra for greasing
25g/ 1oz icing sugar
1 small egg white
20g/ 3/4 oz plain flour
teaspoon of cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves
Raspberry Sauce - Makes 450ml
50g/1 3/4 oz castor sugar
125g/4 1/2 oz raspberries
Lemon juice, to taste
Extra raspberries and mint sprigs, to garnish
PREPARATION
Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. When melted, place the chocolate in a greaseproof paper piping bag. Pipe lacy ‘cobwebs’ of chocolate on to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Chill until set.
To make the mousse
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Beat in the egg yolk, brandy, butter and 3 tablespoons of the cream. In a large bowl, whip the remainder of cream until it holds its own shape on the surface, then fold carefully into the chocolate mousse mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the castor sugar and continue whisking until stiff but not dry. Gently fork the egg whites, a little at a time, into the chocolate mixture until well combined. Spoon the mousse into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and set aside.
Pre-heat oven 190c/375f/gas 5
To make the tuille biscuits
Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and brush lightly with melted butter. In a bowl cream the butter and icing sugar together. Add the egg whites and whisk until smooth. Sift the flour and spices in and mix to a smooth batter. Spread the batter into four 10cm circles, about the thickness of a 10p coin, on to the greased baking sheet, with at least 2.5cm between them to allow for spreading. Cook for 6—8 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for a minute or so.
Carefully peel one from the sheet with a palette knife and shape it over an upturned ramekin or cup. Repeat to make three more ‘cups’.
To make the raspberry sauce
Combine the sugar and raspberries in a pan. Heat until almost boiling and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring. Purée in a blender, then rub through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add lemon juice to taste.
To serve
Place a tuille basket on each plate. Pipe tall swirls of mousse into each basket and top with the white chocolate ‘cobwebs. Decorate each plate with raspberries, a sprig of mint and a spoonful of raspberry sauce.
Chocolate Traveller Notes
I very much like the mix of textures with this dessert and I think the contrast of dark and white chocolate, in moderation, works very well also. Not to mention the addition of the spices which make this dessert that little bit different. For the white chocolate I recommend both the Amedei white chocolate bar (100g) and the Valrhona white chocolate block (250g). I have also included the white chocolate chips with the related chocolates to the right as they are really versitile for decoration, although they come in a 1kg bag and this recipe only requires 50g. For the dark chocolate I would opt for either the Valrhona 61% block (1kg) or the Le 68% bar (250g) as this wouldn't be too much of a jump in cocoa content. Word of warning though; less is more for the white chocolate decoration in my opinion.
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