Moira Hodgsons Chocolate Mousse Food

THE BEST CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Whip 1 cup of the heavy cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon water to a medium heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Whisk constantly until the mixture is pale, hot to the touch and has almost doubled in volume, about 4 to 6 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula, if necessary. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until cooled, about 2 minutes.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and gently stir for about 3 minutes to cool slightly.
• Whisk the egg mixture into the melted chocolate in 3 additions until combined. (The mixture may get very thick.) Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions until it is fully incorporated. It is important that the chocolate mixture is not warm to ensure that it combines smoothly with the whipped cream without seizing up.
• Divide the chocolate mousse among four 4-ounce ramekins and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Whip the remaining 3/4 cup cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Top each chocolate mousse with whipped cream and serve. (For a softer texture, allow the ramekins to sit at room temperature while you whip the cream.)

MAIDA HEATTER'S 86-PROOF CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust rack one-third up from bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and dust the inside of a 9-inch bundt pan (called a minibundt pan), or any other fancy tube pan with a 10-cup capacity, with fine dry breadcrumbs. Invert the pan over a piece of paper and tap lightly to shake out excess crumbs. Set aside.
• Place the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on low heat. Cover and cook only until melted; then remove the top of the double boiler and set it aside, uncovered, to cool slightly. (You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, just keep a close eye on it.)
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• In a two-cup measuring cup dissolve the coffee in a little boiling water. Add cold water to the 1 1/2 cup line. Add the bourbon. Set aside.
• Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat to mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the chocolate and beat until smooth.
• Then, on low speed, alternately add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions with the liquids in two additions, adding the liquids very gradually to avoid splashing and scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Be sure to beat until smooth after each addition, especially after the last. It will be a thin mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Rotate the pan a bit briskly, first in one direction, then in the other, to level the top. In a minibundt pan the batter will almost reach the top of the pan, but it will not run over and you will have a beautifully high cake.
• Bake for one hour and 10 to 15 minutes. Test by inserting a cake tester in the middle of the cake and bake only until the tester comes out clean and dry.
• Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then cover with a rack and invert. Remove the pan, sprinkle the cake with a little optional bourbon, and leave the cake upside down on a rack to cool. Before serving, if you wish, sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar through a fine strainer.

CHOCOLATE TERRINE (CHOCOLATE MOUSSE IN CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour two 10 inch-by-15-inch jelly-roll pans.
• To make the mousse, melt chocolate and butter over hot water, beat egg yolks into chocolate and butter, and add cognac.
• Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add sugar slowly. Continue to beat till stiff but not dry. Add stiffly beaten whites to chocolate mixture and beat together with a whisk.
• Whip cream almost to stiff peaks and fold into chocolate mixture. Chill for at least one hour.
• To make the sponge cake, sift flour and cocoa twice. Whisk together eggs and sugar over simmering water until sugar begins to dissolve and mixture is warm. Add vanilla.
• Whip at high speed until thick and light, and mixture forms a ribbon when poured from a spoon.
• Sift one-third of the dry ingredients over the eggs and sugar, and fold in with a rubber spatula until combined. Repeat with remaining flour and cocoa, one third at a time.
• Divide the batter equally between the two pans and bake until cake tester is clean in the center, or about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
• When cake has cooled, cut the sponge cake to line completely a pate mold or a straight-sided bread pan, about three inches by four inches by 10 inches. Cut each piece slightly larger than the pan. Simply press the fresh cake against the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure the corners and seams are sealed with cake. Chill until ready for filling. Save the scraps for later use; you should have two pieces large enough to use as layers inside the terrine.
• To make the ganache, chop chocolate into coinsize pieces. Bring one cup of the cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely dissolved and ganache is smooth and shiny.
• To assemble, fill chocolate terrine with alternating layers of chocolate mousse, ganache and a sheet of chocolate sponge cake, ending with chocolate sponge cake to form a cover and seal the terrine, reserving enough chocolate ganache to cover the outside. This will come later. Rap the pan sharply several times while assembling and again afterwards. Allow the terrine to chill overnight.
• To make chocolate curls, melt the semisweet chocolate slowly over hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. When completely melted, spread the chocolate about one-eighthinch thick on a baking sheet with a metal spatula. Chill completely.
• When chilled, remove from refrigerator and let chocolate begin to warm. Holding the metal spatula at a 45-degree angle to the baking sheet, begin to move the spatula across the sheet, loosening the chocolate. If the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, it will slide up the spatula as you move along the sheet, curling as you go. If it cracks, it is too cold. Let it warm up and try again. If it sticks to the spatula, it is too warm. Regrigerate for a moment or two. Refrigerate the curls.
• When the terrine has chilled thoroughly, turn it out by placing an appropriate-size platter (a rectangular bread board will do) upside down on top of the terrine. Then turn it over. The terrine should drop right out. If it does not, let it sit on the platter, and tap the top and sides with the heel of your hand.
• Remelt the remaining ganache over hot water, stirring occasionally until smooth and shiny again. If it seems too thick to pour, add several tablespoons of cream.
• Starting at one end and moving toward the other, pour the ganache over the terrine, letting it run down the sides. Smooth the sides and top with a narrow frosting spatula and let the terrine set in the refrigerator for several minutes.
• Garnish the entire terrine with curls in any way you like. The curls will stick to the ganache. Refrigerate until one-half hour to one hour before serving.

MOIRA HODGSON'S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Heat the cream until small bubbles form around the edge.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the upper container of a double boiler set over very hot water. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, then whisk in the butter.
• Gradually add the hot cream, whisking constantly. Turn up the heat so that the water in the bottom of the double boiler starts to simmer gently. Cook for four minutes, whisking constantly (the yolks are cooked at 160 degrees on a candy thermometer).
• Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Cool, stirring constantly for about five minutes.
• Beat the egg whites until they stand up in glossy peaks. With a large rubber spatula, stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gradually fold in the rest.
• Scrape the mousse into a large bowl or individual dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm (about two hours for individual bowls and about five hours for a large mousse).

EASY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until just melted. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, scatter in the sugar and whisk again until the mixture forms stiff peaks when you lift the whisk out (around 30 seconds).
• Add a big tablespoon of the egg white to the melted chocolate and mix vigorously, working fast so the chocolate doesn't cool and harden. Then fold in the remaining egg whites carefully using a spatula or large metal spoon. Spoon into 4 glasses or ramekins and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Serve each with a dollop of crème fraiche and shavings of dark chocolate.

MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT

Steps:

• Grate 50g/2oz of the chocolate and reserve. Break the rest into small, even-sized pieces and melt in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Take the pan off the heat but keep the bowl over the hot water and stir in the brandy. Don't worry if the mixture thickens - it will smooth out again later.
• Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they're standing in stiff peaks. Spoon in half the sugar, whisk again, then add the rest of the sugar and whisk until it looks glossy like meringue. Whip the cream in a separate bowl. Take the melted chocolate off the pan and fold in a heaped metal serving spoon of meringue to loosen the consistency, then tip the chocolate into the meringue and fold in lightly but thoroughly. Now fold in the whipped cream, then twothirds of the grated chocolate.
• Spoon the chocolate mixture into six demitasse cups (or you could use espresso cups or small teacups) and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if this is more convenient. Sprinkle with the remaining grated chocolate, then dust with icing sugar. Serve the cups on saucers with some crisp biscuits tucked alongside.