Chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse

Discover a French classic with our easy recipe for chocolate mousse. The chocolate is melted with warm cream, combined with egg yolks, and folded with whipped double cream and egg whites to lift the mousse and make it deliciously soft and airy. It may sound difficult, but following the recipe one step at a time, you will succeed with a classic and easy chocolate mousse. Garnish the mousse with chocolate shavings for a final touch. A heavenly chocolate-flavoured dessert that is too good not to try.
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Instructions

  • Melt chocolate with 1.5 dl of double cream in a saucepan at medium heat.
  • Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the mixture – it should only just melt together. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
  • Stir egg yolks into the chocolate until it has a smooth, uniform consistency.
  • Beat egg whites until frothy and add sugar. Whisk the mixture for approx. 2 minutes to a firm consistency.
  • Whip 2 dl of double cream into a light foam.
  • Fold the chocolate mixture and double cream together – start by adding ⅓ of the double cream and then fold in the rest. Repeat with the beaten egg whites.
  • Arrange the chocolate mousse in small dessert glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate shavings or coarsely chopped chocolate.
Enjoy!
Tips

All the ingredients for chocolate mousse should have a similar temperature to prevent the chocolate from seizing. Let the egg yolks sit at room temperature on the kitchen counter before stirring them into the cooled chocolate-cream mixture. Also, make sure not to overwhip, or you will end up with a grainy and much too dense mousse.

Tips

Is your mousse too runny? Try adding more chocolate, as the cocoa butter in the chocolate acts as a thickener. But you will have to whip it up again once it has cooled. Egg whites can also fix the problem but do not go overboard, or the chocolate mousse will taste too eggy, like an omelette mixed with chocolate. Gently fold in the egg whites and check if the consistency changes before adding more.

Tips

Chocolate mousse can last 2-3 days in the fridge, so you can easily prepare it in advance, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, and serve it the next day. This allows the mousse even more time to set and obtain the right texture characteristic for a mousse.

Questions about chocolate mousse

With only a few ingredients, you can effortlessly whip up a chocolate mousse and impress your guests with a French classic. We have compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions about this chocolatey dessert so you know to make a chocolate mousse that will knock your family off their feet. Read below and find out more!

What is chocolate mousse?
Chocolate mousse is a decadent chocolate-flavoured dessert made with double cream, raw eggs, melted chocolate and sugar. It is a classic light and airy French dessert, also known as mousse au chocolat. To create the fluffy and smooth texture of the mousse, the double cream is whipped to increase the volume of the mousse.
How to make chocolate mousse?
Melt chocolate with double cream at medium heat while stirring occasionally. Let the mixture cool before adding egg yolks and stir until it has a smooth consistency. Next, beat egg whites frothy, add sugar and whisk until the mixture has a firm texture. Carefully fold whipped double cream into the chocolate mixture by adding it little by little. Repeat the process with the beaten egg whites and sugar. Finally, divide the mousse into small dessert glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. As a final touch, garnish with chocolate shavings on top.
Can you freeze chocolate mousse?
You can freeze chocolate mousse for up to 2 months in the freezer but be aware that it may change the texture of the mousse and make it icier. For freezing, scoop the mousse portion-wise into small airtight containers suited for freezing and cover with a lid or several layers of cling film. If your dessert glasses are freezer safe, you can simply arrange the mousse in the glasses, wrap them with cling film and have them ready for serving. Thaw the mousse by transferring it to the fridge and let it defrost until you can spoon it out.
How long does chocolate mousse last?
Chocolate mousse can last in the fridge for about 2-3 days if it is not all devoured by then. Do not leave the mousse outside for too long, especially if it is hot; it can ruin the taste and consistency of the dessert. As the recipe contains raw eggs, the mousse has a relatively short shelf life, and it is important to keep the mousse refrigerated.
What to serve with chocolate mousse?
This simple yet elegant dessert is perfectly delicious on its own. However, you can elevate it by adding whipped cream with raspberry coulis or fresh berries. Give the mousse some crunch and sprinkle coarsely chopped nuts, for example, pistachios or hazelnuts on top. For a truly decadent delight, make a caramel sauce and drizzle it over the mousse.
What to do with failed chocolate mousse?
Our recipe is pretty straightforward, but sometimes something can go wrong, and you end up with a runny mousse that will not set or a grainy mousse. Fix a runny mousse by melting the mousse using a water bath and add some more cream and egg yolk. Make sure everything is combined, then leave to cool and whip it up. Just be careful as this might cause the mousse to separate. You will get the best result if you realise the problem before adding whipped cream and egg whites. A grainy mousse happens if you overbeat the cream, creating lumps and a grainy texture. Fix it by adding some fresh cream and whisking it gently together.
How long does chocolate mousse take to set?
A chocolate mousse should be light and airy. To obtain the right texture, the mousse needs at least 3 hours to set in the refrigerator until it is firm and slightly tacky when you touch the surface. Turn the glass or container with the mousse upside down; if it does not move, the mousse has reached the right consistency. Some recipes call for gelatine to help set the mousse, but you can get by without it by using quality chocolate with the right cocoa butter content.

Ingredients

Chocolate mousse
Dark chocolate (approx. 55% cocoa)
175 g
Double cream
3½ dl
Egg yolks (approx. 2 tbsp)
3
Egg whites
3
Sugar
1 tbsp
Garnish
Dark chocolate shavings (approx. 55% cocoa)
Other recipes
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Delicious dark chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse is a decadent and scrumptious dessert originating from France where it is known as mousse au chocolat. The French classic is light in taste and texture with a lovely bittersweet chocolatey flavour. Mousse means foam or froth in French and refers to the tiny little air bubbles in the mousse, giving it an airy and fluffy texture. Made with rich dark chocolate, raw eggs, sugar and double cream, this scrumptious dessert garnished beautifully with chocolate shavings is perfect for spoiling your guests.

If our simple chocolate mousse recipe piques your interest, check out our equally delicious recipes for a rich, intense flavoured chocolate pudding, a creamy and soft vanilla pudding served with a warm cherry sauce or a simple Italian panna cotta topped with a fruit coulis made from frozen berries.

Make an easy mousse for dessert

Mousse is the stuff dessert dreams are made of. With only a handful of ingredients, you can easily whip together a fluffy mousse for dessert. The hardest part will be waiting for it to set so you can dive into a flavourful and heavenly texture that will melt in your mouth. These elegant, rich, and creamy desserts are perfect to have at hand for a party or whenever a sweet craving strikes, just for the pleasure of a smooth consistency with a delicious chocolate taste. Enjoy the chocolate mousse on its own or serve with whichever fresh berries are in season.

Use a high-quality chocolate

High-quality chocolate is key to an easy chocolate mousse that is light and airy with a rich texture. As the chocolate helps the mousse set and provides structure, we recommend using chocolate with a high cocoa content. With a distinct texture that feels velvety and smooth in your mouth and a strong chocolate aroma, dark chocolate with over 45% should do the trick. For our chocolate mousse recipe, we use chocolate with cocoa solids of 55%, providing just the right amount of bittersweet for the mousse with a lovely chocolatey flavour. You can go with 70% chocolate if you prefer something less sweet with a great bitter deep taste.

Experiment with a white chocolate mousse

Not a fan of rich, bold flavours? Instead of dark chocolate, use white chocolate for a sweeter taste with creamy, floral undertones and a subtle hint of vanilla. As white chocolate contains less cocoa butter, it has a lower melting point and does not melt quite as quickly as dark chocolate so make sure to give it a bit more time to melt before letting it cool. You can also add some orange zest, which goes very well with the white chocolate flavour. Serve the white chocolate mousse with a spoonful of whipped double cream and some fresh raspberries or other red berries that go well with the mousse.

But why settle for one when you can have both? Make a dark and white chocolate mousse, layer them on top of each other, and garnish with fresh berries, extra whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. The two chocolate flavours are a match made in heaven and balance each other wonderfully.

You can also make a sugar caramel, add some chopped walnuts, and let it cool. This will give it a great nutty flavour and add a really nice crunch to the smooth mousse.

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