Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Food

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Finely chop chocolate; reserve. In a double boiler, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, quickly whisk in chopped chocolate until melted and cocoa until smooth (mixture will be thick). Cool to room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Whisk half of whipped cream into room-temperature chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Divide mousse among four serving dishes. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove mousse from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with shaved chocolate.

DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a large bowl set over a bain marie or in a double boiler at a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat and let stand.
• Beat the cream over ice until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm.
• Remove the chocolate from the bain marie and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set. Serve in goblets topped with more whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.

EASY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high heat speed until thick and bright yellow.
• Heat 1 cup cream in a medium saucepan until just at a simmer, then slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolk-sugar mixture to temper it. Slowly add the remaining hot cream, then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
• Add the semisweet chocolate to a bowl and slowly pour the egg-sugar-cream mixture over it. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted, then add the vanilla and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Beat the the confectioners' sugar with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Reserve 1/2 cup for garnish. Gently but thoroughly fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Spoon the mousse into a piping bag, then pipe the mousse into 6 teacups. Dollop the reserved whipped cream on top and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate covered almonds and serve.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Create an ice bath in a large bowl using ice and a little cold water. Nestle a smaller bowl in ice bath.
• Place chocolate and 1 cup water in a small pot and heat over medium. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Immediately pour melted chocolate into the bowl in the ice bath. Vigorously whisk chocolate mixture by hand until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. The chocolate should be fluffy and form a mound when dolloped with the whisk (it should generally have the texture and appearance of mousse). If the mixture does not thicken, add a bit more chopped chocolate and remelt over the heat. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with fleur de sel.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE(ATK)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides of 9-inch spring-form pan; flour sides and tap out excess. Line bottom of pan with parchment or waxed paper round. Wrap bottom and sides of pan with large sheet of foil.
• Melt 12 tablespoons butter and chocolates in large bowl over large saucepan containing about 2 quarts barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool mixture slightly, then whisk in vanilla and egg yolks. Set chocolate mixture aside, reserving hot water, covered, in saucepan.
• In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds; add half of crumbled brown sugar, beat at high speed until combined, about 30 seconds, then add remaining brown sugar and continue to beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 2 minutes longer. Using whisk, stir about one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions using whisk. Gently scrape batter into prepared springform pan, set springform pan in large roasting pan, then pour hot water from saucepan to depth of 1 inch. Carefully slide roasting pan into oven; bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, center has just set, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers about 170 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Remove spring-form pan from water bath, discard foil, and cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run thin-bladed paring knife between sides of pan and cake to loosen; cool cake in springform pan on wire rack until barely warm, about 3 hours, then wrap pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 8 hours. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.).
• To unmold cake, remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between cake and pan bottom to loosen, then invert cake onto large plate, peel off parchment, and re-invert onto serving platter. To serve, use sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping knife in pitcher of hot water and wiping blade before each cut.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Make mousse: Put chocolate in a large bowl, and set aside. Heat 1 1/2 cups cream over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan until cream is steaming and small bubbles form on edges.
• Pour cream over chocolate. Stir until mixture is smooth. Let cool completely.
• Put remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture, one-third at a time.
• Assemble torte: Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on sides. Spread enough mousse (3/4 to 1 cup) over bottom of pan to cover. Arrange 5 cookies on top in a single layer to cover, breaking them to fit as necessary. Spread enough mousse (3/4 to 1 cup) on top to cover; smooth into an even layer. Repeat process with remaining cookies and mousse until pan is full.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto surface, and refrigerate torte until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
• Remove plastic wrap from surface. Invert torte onto a serving plate; unmold, using overhang to coax it out. Remove plastic wrap. Dust with cocoa.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate, butter and espresso and cook over simmering water over moderately low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is melted.
• Remove the top of the double boiler and let cool to 75° on an instant-read thermometer.
• Beat in the egg yolks until incorporated.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until very soft peaks form.
• Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are slightly firm and glossy.
• In another bowl, beat the cream until firm.
• Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in half of the beaten whites until no streaks remain.
• Repeat with the remaining whites and whipped cream.
• Spoon the chocolate mousse into glasses or bowls and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.
• Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve chilled.
• *Make Ahead: The mousse can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Bring an inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Combine the cream and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. When the water boils, turn the heat to low so the water is barely simmering or just steaming. Set the bowl over the saucepan and melt the chocolate, gently stirring with a whisk now and then.
• While the chocolate melts, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium speed. When the whites are foamy, add the sugar in a slow stream while whisking. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. The whites should look glossy but not dry, and, when you lift the whisk from the mixture, a peak should form in the bowl and hold.
• Once the chocolate has melted completely, turn off the heat but leave the bowl over the saucepan. Holding the bowl with a kitchen towel, add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking after each addition. If the mixture looks broken, remove the bowl from the saucepan, cool for a minute, then add 1 tablespoon cream and whisk just until shiny and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. (Don't worry if it still doesn't look completely smooth. It will come together in the next step.)
• Add a quarter of the beaten whites to the chocolate mixture and stir gently with a flexible rubber spatula until incorporated but still a little streaky. This will make it easier to fold in the remaining whites to create an airy mousse by gradually lowering the temperature of the chocolate (tempering) and making the mixture loose.
• Add the rest of the whites and fold them in by running the spatula from 12 o'clock on the bowl to 6 o'clock, then scooping up the chocolate on the bottom and gently folding it over the whites as you move toward 9 o'clock. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Continue folding just until the last streak of white disappears. It's OK if there are a few lumps of whites left. It's better to not deflate the batter by folding too much.
• Scoop into a pretty bowl or into individual cups or bowls for serving if you'd like. Otherwise, keep it in the mixing bowl. Refrigerate the mousse uncovered until cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 more hours and preferably 24. The covered mousse can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• If you'd like to serve the mousse with whipped cream, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. A cup or two of heavy cream is plenty for this amount of mousse. Serve the mousse cold, straight from the refrigerator, with the whipped cream.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Whisk milk, egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons sugar in heavy small suacepan to blend. Place over medium-low heat and stir until mixture thickens enough to coat spoon, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Beat egg whites and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into cooled chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide mousse among 6 goblets or transfer to serving bowl. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Top mousse with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line an 8 inch pan with aluminum foil. Make sure to extend the foil beyond the two opposite ends of the pan. This will help in lifting brownies out of pan. Lightly butter bottom and sides of foil-lined pan.
• Cut butter into pieces and melt in a saucepan over low heat. Remove pan from heat, add 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 egg (make sure egg is at room temperature), and then vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until smooth. Spread dough evenly into pan.
• Bake 10-12 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a moist crumb. Do not overbake. Cool completely on wire rack.
• To Make Mousse: Melt 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with the coffee in top of a double boiler over hot water. Stir often until smooth. Whisk in 3 egg yolks, one at a time. Remove from heat.
• In a chilled medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup heavy cream just until soft peaks form. In another medium bowl, beat 3 egg whites just until soft peaks begin to form. Stir 1/4 of these beaten egg whites into the chocolate/coffee mixture, then carefully fold in the rest
• Gently fold in the whipped cream. Spread chocolate mousse evenly over the top of the cooled brownie in the pan.
• To Make Topping: In a chilled medium sized bowl, beat 1/3 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Remove brownie from baking pan by grasping the overhanging foil. Cut into squares and transfer to serving dish. Place some whipped cream on top of each brownie and top with a chocolate espresso bean. Store in refrigerator.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE IN PHYLLO WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• On a work surface, stack phyllo sheets and cut out three 6-inch squares (6 total), discarding scraps. Stack phyllo squares between 2 sheets of wax paper and cover with a kitchen towel. Line each of two 1/2-cup muffin tins with 1 phyllo square, pressing gently into bottom, with edges overhanging top of tin. Repeat with remaining squares in same 2 tins, overlapping corners in different directions, but do not reposition phyllo once in tin (it may tear).
• Bake phyllo shells in middle of oven until edges are golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully transfer phyllo shells to a rack and cool completely. Phyllo shells may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Make sauce:
• In a saucepan, simmer raspberries and granulated sugar, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes and stir in eau-de-vie or liqueur. In a blender, purée mixture until smooth and strain through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Chill sauce, covered, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
• Make mousse:
• In a small saucepan whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch and add water and egg, whisking until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking and simmer, whisking vigorously, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and eau-de-vie or liqueur, stirring until chocolate is melted. Transfer mixture to a metal bowl set in a bowl of ice and cold water and beat until cold and lightened in color. In a bowl, beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into chocolate mixture gently, but thoroughly. Chill mousse, covered, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
• To make chocolate curls:
• In a small metal bowl, set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate and on a baking sheet (not non-stick) spread it with a metal spatula as thinly and evenly as possible. Cool chocolate until firm to the touch but not hard. (Alternatively, chill chocolate on sheet in refrigerator; if it becomes too hard let it soften slightly at room temperature.) with a pastry scraper or metal spatula held at an angle, scrape chocolate slowly from sheet, letting it curl. Transfer curls carefully as formed to another baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chocolate curls may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely. An ounce of chocolate yields enough chocolate curls to garnish 2 to 4 Servings.
• To serve:
• In a bowl, whisk cream until it just begins to thicken. Pour some raspberry sauce onto 2 dessert plates and dot with thickened cream. Pull point of a skewer or wooden pick through cream to form hearts. With a sieve, dust phyllo shells with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Arrange phyllo shells on top of sauce and spoon about 1/3 cup mousse into each shell (do not overfill). Top mousse with chocolate curls.