There is something romantic about mousse. Perhaps it’s the chocolate or the combination of light airiness and rich flavor, but whatever it is I think chocolate mousse makes a perfect treat for Valentines or any other romantic occasion.
The first time I made this mousse was by special request of my friend Rose. It’s her favorite dessert and she loaned me her copy of Julia Child’s The Way to Cook so I could make this for her. It was the first Julia Child recipe I ever made and after tasting the rich, decadent chocolate I knew this would be my go to recipe for chocolate mousse. I decided I needed my own copy of this informative cookbook and it’s now one of my favorites.
I have made some minor modifications to suit my taste. Child’s recipe calls for sweet or semisweet baking chocolate, but I use a mix of semisweet and bittersweet. She also said to put the mixing bowl on ice when whipping the cream, but I cheat and chill the bowl in the refrigerator instead. Once it’s made, the mousse needs several hours to chill, so plan ahead, but it’s well worth the wait. The recipe makes enough for up to eight servings, so I’ve included instructions to make it for two.
RAW EGG WARNING: You should take care to use the freshest available eggs and make sure that they are stored properly.
- 4 ounces (113 g) semisweet baking chocolate
- 4 ounces (113 g) bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) strong coffee
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons/85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, divided
- 1/4 cup (33 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
- CHOCOLATE: Break up the chocolate into pieces and put into the pot with the coffee. Heat on low, just until the chocolate melts and can be stirred together. Add the butter and whisk it in as it melts. Beat in the egg yolks one by one. Set aside.
- WHIPPED CREAM: Bring the chilled bowl out and pour in 1 cup of the heavy cream. Whisk the cream until it is soft and clings to the whisk, but not stiff. Set aside.
- EGG WHITES: In the bowl of the stand mixer (or in large bowl with hand mixer) beat the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Continue to beat while adding the confectioners sugar a spoonful at a time, until you have stiff shiny peaks.
- ASSEMBLE: Drizzle the chocolate down the sides of the bowl with the egg whites and fold them together. When they are almost blended, fold in the whipped cream.
- Spoon into servings bowls or martini glasses. Cover and chill for several hours.
- WHIPPED CREAM: Chill the clean mixing bowl again. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Whisk until you have soft peaks. Pipe through a pastry bag or dollop with a spoon onto the chilled mousse and serve.
2 to 3 quart pot
stand mixer with whisk attachment or a hand mixer and large bowl
extra mixing bowl, chilled (I put it in the refrigerator about 30 minutes ahead of time.)
serving bowls or martini glasses
Recipe Notes
Prep Time includes resting time in the refrigerator.
Make It Just for Two
1-1/2 ounces (43 g) semisweet baking chocolate
1-1/4 ounces (35 g) bittersweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon (20 ml) strong coffee
1 ounce (2 tablespoons/28 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream, divided (1/3, 1/3)
1 tablespoon (11 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
More Ideas For Valentine’s Day
More Mousse Recipes From Other Blogs
- Simply Recipes – Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse
- Tartlette – Cashew Gateau with Coffee Cardamom Mousse
- David Lebovitz – Chocolate-Espresso Mousse Cake
- Dessert First – Maple Star Anise Mousse
Val says
February 12, 2009 at 4:53 pmmmmmmmmmousse!
Peter says
February 12, 2009 at 5:11 pmI want, must have…will beg.
Ben says
February 12, 2009 at 5:23 pmI don’t like making anything for Valentine’s day, that’s the only day of the year where I can go out and not cook! LOL I love your pictures, they made me hungry for something sweet :-p
Lynda says
February 12, 2009 at 6:42 pmThat looks so addictive! And the picture is beautiful!
Robin says
February 12, 2009 at 6:50 pmHubby is allergic to coffee – can I make this and not include this ingredient? Will it still work?
Thanks 🙂
Erin says
February 12, 2009 at 8:56 pmThis looks so rich and delicious!
lisa (dandysugar) says
February 12, 2009 at 9:49 pmI love the texture of your mousse, it’s so thick and creamy. A truly decadent treat. Makes me want chocolate now! Delicious!
Alisa - Frugal Foodie says
February 12, 2009 at 10:29 pmI am not a chocoholic, but this really looks incredible. Another one bookmarked … for some dairy-free fanagaling of course 😉
Andrea says
February 12, 2009 at 10:30 pmThanks! Robin, the liquid is important for the consistency of the chocolate, so if not using coffee you can use just water or a liqueur instead.
MaryBeth says
February 12, 2009 at 11:07 pmThis looks absolutely perfect,restaurant quality.
finsmom says
February 13, 2009 at 12:14 amWhat a beautiful presentation! Great photos!
Carol, Simply...Gluten-free says
February 13, 2009 at 11:35 amThis is my first time to your blog, it is really lovely and I will be back!
MyKitchenInHalfCups says
February 14, 2009 at 6:10 amThat’s brilliant to have it for two! I’ll just have to remember to save that tablespoon of coffee from the morning.
When I was pregnant the first time I experienced what I called my Chocolate Week. It seemed for about 10 days I just wanted to eat chocolate. That was my first time making mousse.
Gudrun says
February 15, 2009 at 11:20 pmwe had chocolate mousse for VDay too – I followed a recipe that cooked both the yolks and whites, which nearly led to two cooking disasters (curdled custard and overcooked sugar syrup). Fortunately, it worked out in the end.
A good chocolate mousse is so enjoyable – thank you for sharing this much easier recipe!
Scott at Realepicurean says
February 16, 2009 at 1:42 pmI haven’t done many mouses before so perhaps I better practise by using this recipe?
RecipeGirl says
February 16, 2009 at 3:12 pmThis looks like a completely decadent and luscious dessert… the kind I’m supposed to be avoiding during my healthy lifestyle kick! I love to live vicariously through the food blogs. I can *almost* taste it!!
Lynda at TasteFood says
February 16, 2009 at 5:20 pmThis is satisfying my chocolate cravings. I love mousse, too. It’s all about the quality of the ingredients!
Sam says
February 22, 2009 at 2:07 pmMmmm, that looks so good!
Sudeshna says
September 12, 2009 at 3:43 pmWhile searching for a good recipe for chocolate mousse, I landed in this post. Loved the recipe and the images look so tempting.