Chocolate Caramel Mousse Parfaits Food

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MOUSSE

Steps:

• Put sugar in a heavy pan, and turn heat to medium. When sugar warms and begins to liquefy, add 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until mixture bubbles, then becomes foamy, then dry again. Keep cooking until it liquefies again, stirring often and breaking up any chunks that form. When it is all dissolved and brown, remove from heat, and stir in butter a bit at a time. Standing back to avoid spattering, add 1 cup cream, then stir until blended. Let sit until cool enough to touch.
• Meanwhile beat remaining cream until it holds soft peaks; refrigerate. Melt chocolate over very low heat or in a double boiler or microwave.
• Mix melted chocolate into caramel. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to caramel, and stir to combine. Add remaining whipped cream and gently fold, just until combined. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
• Scoop mousse with a spoon dipped in a hot water. Serve alongside a piece of orange confit.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL MOUSSE PARFAITS

Steps:

• For chocolate mousse, heat 2 cups cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer, about 180°. Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until chilled. Beat until soft peaks form., For caramel mousse, beat remaining cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add caramel topping; beat until soft peaks form., Spoon 3 tablespoons chocolate mousse into six parfait glasses; top with 3 tablespoons caramel mousse. Repeat layers. Refrigerate until serving.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL FROZEN PARFAITS

Steps:

• Bring milk and 1/2 cup cream just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and keep warm, covered.
• Bring water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in another small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved and washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil syrup, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until mixture is a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat and carefully add warm cream mixture (mixture will steam vigorously and caramel will harden). Cook over low heat, whisking, until caramel is dissolved.
• Whisk together yolks, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl, then add hot caramel mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer custard to saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer (do not let boil).
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl of standing mixer, then beat at high speed 10 minutes (mixture will be completely cool, thick, and pale). Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.
• Whisk remaining cup cream in another bowl until it just holds stiff peaks, then whisk about one fourth of cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly and divide mixture among paper cups, smoothing tops. Cover each cup with foil and freeze parfaits at least 12 hours.
• To serve, carefully tear off each paper cup and invert parfaits onto plates.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a 3-4 qt saucepan over low heat, stir sugar and water until it looks clear.
• Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until dark golden brown (about 10 minutes).
• Occasionally brush sugar crystals down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.
• When mixture begins to caramelize around edges of pan, gently swirl pan to ensure even caramelization.
• Remove from heat and immediately and slowly add 3/4 cup cream (mixture will bubble up).
• Stir gently until smooth.
• Let cool 5 minutes and then stir in chocolate until well blended.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (about 1 hour) Stir in Frangelico (if using).
• In another bowl whip 1 cup of cream to firm peaks.
• Gently fold 1/3 of cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining cream until no white streaks remain.
• Spoon mousse into dessert cups/glasses and chill for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
• Garnish with berries or chocolate shavings if desired.

CITRUS AND CARAMEL MOUSSE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Stir in flour and ground hazelnuts. Drop teaspoons of batter, spaced 2 inches apart, onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)
• Make the mousse: Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a bowl, and sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Bring sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, swirling gently once mixture begins to color, until dark amber, 12 to 13 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Carefully add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking after each addition until butter melts (caramel will bubble). Add 1/4 cup each cream and creme fraiche. Add salt, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add gelatin mixture, and stir until combined. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• In a bowl, whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 1/4 cup creme fraiche until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into caramel. Cover mousse, and refrigerate for 10 minutes (or overnight).
• Assemble parfaits: Cut peel and pith from citrus. Slice fruit along membranes to release segments.
• Layer segments and mousse in 6 serving glasses, beginning and ending with segments. Refrigerate, covered, until mousse is set, at least 1 hour (or overnight). Serve with lace cookies.

CHOCOLATE-MOUSSE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water until doubled in volume and a thermometer registers 160 degrees (6 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Add chocolate, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt. Stir in butter until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whip cream to stiff peaks. Stir one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture until lightened, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Divide half of mousse between two glasses; sprinkle with crushed cookies. Top with remaining mousse and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. To serve, top with lightly whipped cream and more cookie crumbs.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PARFAIT

Steps:

• Note: You need 5 - 1 cup decorative dishes for this recipe. Champagne glasses work very well.
• White Chocolate Layer: Combine chocolate and cream in a double boiler over hot water. Leave until partially melted, stirring ocassionally. Remove from pan. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter. Add egg yolks, one at a time, whisking vigoroughly after each addition.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Quickly fold about one quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture; spoon in remaining whites and fold until blended. Place in decorative dishes and refrigerate about 1 - 1-1/2 hours or until partially set.
• Milk Chocolate Layer: Same as above. Pour carefully over the first layer.
• Dark Chocolate: Same as above.
• Cover with plastic wrap when set. If desired, garnish with white chocolate or dark chocolate curls or with seasonal fruit.