Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake With Cashew Brittle Food

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Pour chocolate syrup into 12-cup fluted tube pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Beat cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs in large bowl with mixer 2 min. or until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Pour over syrup in pan.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in separate bowl with mixer until blended. Add remaining eggs; mix well. Blend in evaporated milk and melted chocolate; gently spoon over cake batter in pan. Cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil sprayed with cooking spray, sprayed side down.
• Place tube pan in large shallow pan. Add enough water to larger pan to come at least 2 inches up side of tube pan. Bake 1 hour 30 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan. Refrigerate 2 hours. Invert cake onto plate; remove pan. Serve cake topped with COOL WHIP.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FOR CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm. Use immediately.

NO-BAKE CASHEW BRITTLE BARS

Steps:

• Line a 4 1/2-by-9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each long side. Toast oats and cashews in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until aromatic and just starting to turn golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup, molasses, and salt in the skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and mixture bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour hot mixture over oats and cashews, and stir to combine.
• Transfer mixture to loaf pan. Using a spatula, press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Remove chilled mixture from pan using plastic, discard plastic, and cut into 1-inch thick bars.

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place eight 6-ounce (3 1/2-inch diameter) ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, and coat with cooking spray; set aside.
• Stir flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water; mix on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Run a knife around sides of cakes; unmold. Cakes can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 1 day.
• Trim each cake to 1 inch high. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut eight 10 3/4-by-4-inch strips of parchment paper. Wrap a parchment collar around base of each cake, keeping bottom flush with baking sheet. Secure each collar with tape; set aside.
• Transfer bittersweet-chocolate mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (such as Ateco #808). Pipe a 1-inch layer of mousse into each parchment collar. Refrigerate until mousse is set, about 20 minutes. Repeat with milk chocolate mousse, piping on top of the bittersweet chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Microwave semisweet chocolate until slightly warm but not melted, about 30 seconds. Scrape at a 45-degree angle with a vegetable peeler, forming curls. Before serving cakes, remove parchment collars, and garnish with chocolate curls.

CASHEW-BRITTLE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the brittle: Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, and cook until pale amber, about 12 minutes total. Stir in butter. Remove from heat, and stir in cashews. Pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
• In a food processor, finely grind the brittle. Place brittle in heaping teaspoons on a nonstick baking mat, and flatten each into a thin round. Bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Press a 1- to 2-inch heart-shape cutter into center of each round while brittle is still hot. With cutter still in place, pull away sides of melted brittle. Remove cutter. Let cool slightly, until bendable. Lift heart from baking mat with a spatula, and bend slightly at center of heart. Let cool completely.