White Chocolate Mint Mousse Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a large glass bowl, place the chopped white chocolate and set aside.
• Add the egg yolks and sugar to a small bowl and whisk until pale in color.
• In a saucepan, over low heat, bring 1/4 cup of the cream to a simmer, and slowly add the cream into the yolk and sugar mixture to temper. Pour the creamy mixture back into pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of it.
• Pour hot mix into a fine mesh sieve placed directly over bowl with the chopped chocolate. Stir until completely smooth.
• In another bowl, whip remaining 1 cup of the cream to almost stiff peaks. Fold half the whipped cream into the white chocolate mix to lighten and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
• Spoon the white chocolate mousse into 4 serving cups and refrigerate until set, approximately 1 hour.
• Garnish each serving with 3 blackberries and a sprig of mint, if using.

MINT-CHOC MOUSSE

Steps:

• With the chocolate bar flat-side up, scrape a large kitchen knife over the surface to create chocolate curls (you only need enough to decorate the mousses before serving). Transfer to a plate and chill. Finely chop the remaining chocolate and put in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring every now and then, until melted. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in short bursts, to ensure it doesn't burn. Set aside to cool for 10 mins.
• Put the cream and peppermint extract in a bowl. Put the egg whites in another bowl with a small pinch of salt. Using very clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, add the sugar and briefly whisk again. Transfer the beaters to the cream and whisk until just holding its shape, then fold in 200g of the yogurt. Stir the egg yolks into the melted chocolate.
• Add a large spoonful of egg white to the chocolate mix and stir to loosen the consistency. Add the remaining egg whites and the whipped cream. Gently fold everything together with a large metal spoon, trying to keep as much air in the mixture as possible. When there are no more visible streaks, transfer to eight serving glasses and chill for 2 hrs, or cover with cling film and chill for up to 24 hrs.
• Before serving, top each mousse with a spoonful of yogurt, pomegranate seeds, chocolate shavings and mint leaves.

WHITE-CHOCOLATE-MINT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Have ready a serving bowl with at least a 6-cup capacity.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, place 1/2 cup of the cream and the butter and heat until the mixture is hot and the butter melts. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the white chocolate and let it soften in the hot cream mixture for about 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and all of the white chocolate melts.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool to the touch but still pourable, about 30 minutes.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix the remaining 2 cups of cold cream, vanilla, mint extract and the cooled white-chocolate mixture on low speed to blend the ingredients.
• Increase the speed to medium high and beat until firm peaks form, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. When ready to serve, either leave in the serving bowl or spoon into individual serving bowls/goblets, garnish with the white-chocolate shavings and mint leaves and serve cold.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Two days before you plan to serve the dessert, in a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Strain into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the refrigerator.
• In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the white chocolate mixture, and then spoon the mixture (or pipe through a pastry bag) into glasses or chocolate bags.
• Melt chocolate over hot water. Using a thin small clear 4-sided cellophane bag cut the top off to desired height. Un-crease the bag so it stands up and open. Using a paintbrush, coat the inside of the bag well with chocolate. Put in the freezer to set up until very hard, about 30 minutes. Cut the bag a little and pull it away from the chocolate. Store chilled until ready to serve. To serve, fill it with white chocolate mousse then lay it on a plate on its side so it looks like it's spilling over. Garnish it with a cascade of mixed berries and a mint sprig. You can fill it with truffles, too.
• Notes about the recipe: Ganache is a word that we've been seeing on more and more dessert menus. It has a rich, fancy, very French sound, but ganache is essentially just a combination of chocolate and water or cream. Depending on the proportions, the mixture can be used in a variety of ways: as a glaze, a filling, or a candy center, to name just the ways we use it in this book. With enough cream added, it becomes whip-able, and that's the foundation of this white-chocolate mousse. White chocolate is devastatingly popular, but it's also not exactly chocolate. It's mostly cocoa butter, extracted from cocoa beans and enhanced with sugar and vanilla. White chocolate is not the same thing as the "confectionery coating" or "white coating" you see in the market; real white chocolate contains cocoa butter. Note that you'll need two days for making this dessert.

CHOCOLATE MINT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put into a bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. Remove pan from heat. Set the bowl of chocolate over the hot water, stirring frequently until just melted. Remove bowl from hot water. Cool.
• Bring the water in the saucepan back to a simmer.
• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and creme de menthe. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until egg mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
• Remove bowl from hot water. With mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg mixture until light and cool, about 4 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer.
• Put 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, sprinkle with gelatin, and let stand until softened, about 2 minutes.
• Remove pan of simmering water from heat and set bowl of softened gelatin in hot water until gelatin has melted, about 2 minutes.
• Whip cream to soft peaks.
• Whisk gelatin into cool egg mixture, and then divide egg-gelatin mixture evenly between two bowls.
• Fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into one of the bowls. Stir melted chocolate into second bowl and then fold in remaining whipped cream.
• To layer the mousse, divide 1/2 of the Chocolate Mint Mousse between six individual goblets. Spoon all of the mint mousse on top.
• Make a final layer using the remaining Chocolate Mint Mousse.
• Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• Recipe can be prepared and refrigerated 1 day ahead.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• In heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, combine chocolate and 2/3 cup cream.
• Cook and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Cool to room temperature.
• In small mixing bowl, beat remaining cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
• Fold about 1/4 cup into chocolate mixture.
• Fold in remaining whipped cream mixture.
• Spoon into dessert dishes.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.