When I was a kid, my family used to go to this really nice seafood restaurant on special occasions. It was a huge buffet with crab legs, seafood gratins, pastas, fish, oysters, lobster tails and much, much more. It was a real treat. But the thing I cared about most on that buffet was always the chocolate mousse. I felt so grown up eating something out of a stemmed crystal glass. I would eat as much chocolate mousse as I could hold. It was silky smooth and oh-so luxurious – I absolutely loved it. Still do. Chocolate mousse has always been one of my very favorite desserts. Which is why I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for well over a year. For whatever reason I never got around to making my own chocolate mousse – then I saw this gorgeous recipe on Smitten Kitchen and knew I had to try it.
Deb describes this as “silky and decadent” and I could not agree more. The whipped egg yolks are what make this extra creamy and the whipped cream and beaten egg whites make it so light and fluffy it could almost float away. I’m being perfectly honest with you when I say this is the most delicious, luxurious chocolate mousse I’ve ever had in my whole life. An absolute dream.
Silky, Decadent Chocolate Mousse
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), chopped
3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur (or swap with a liqueur of your choice; yes, you can leave it out but it won’t be as good)
1 cup very cold heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Set a large, heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter in it, gently stirring it until smooth. Remove from heat. Alternately, you can melt them in your microwave, stirring thoroughly at 30 seconds and every 15 seconds thereafter until the mixture is smooth.
Beat the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until thick enough to form a ribbon that takes a few seconds to dissolve — this will take about two to four minutes to achieve. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture along with Grand Marnier, then cool to warm.
Wash your mixing bowl and beat the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until it just holds stiff peaks. Transfer to another bowl and set aside. Wash your mixing bowl again (I know it requires lots of washes for this recipe; alternatively you can just use a hand mixer and 3 different bowls).
Beat the egg whites and salt until they just hold soft peaks.
Fold the whipped cream and beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Transfer to 8 (4 ounce) ramekins or one large serving bowl, or go restaurant-style, serving it in stemmed glasses with white or dark chocolate shavings on top.
To make ahead: Mousse can be chilled, its surface covered with parchment paper, up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe source: slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Gourmet Magazine, October 2009
Lighter than air……
P.S. Happy, happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂
Hey this looks amazing! I’ve tried several of the recipes you post, and I’ve never been let down! I’m definitely gonna give this mousse a try! Love chocolate mousse w/ berries! Thanks for sharing!
Val
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Comment by Val — February 14, 2011 @ 7:24 AM
So delicious…we adore chocolate mousse and this looks so light and airy…and chocolate-y!
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Comment by The Blue-Eyed Bakers — February 14, 2011 @ 7:34 AM
Wonderful to hear, Val, thank you so much!! 🙂
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Comment by amy — February 14, 2011 @ 8:35 AM
I have never made chocolate mousse but am going to need to soon after this recipe.
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Comment by Carrie — February 14, 2011 @ 10:08 AM
Oh yes Amy! This looks amazing! And sinfully delicious.
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Comment by Eliana — February 14, 2011 @ 10:59 AM
Yummy! Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Joel! 🙂
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Comment by Jessica of My Baking Heart — February 14, 2011 @ 11:04 AM
This looks amazing! Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Comment by melissa — February 14, 2011 @ 1:00 PM
This looks amazing!! Chocolate mousee to me was always such a decadent treat. My grandparents were members of Colonial Country Club, and they used to take me there sometimes for Sunday brunch. It was a beautiful place with this huge gourmet buffet but all I cared about was that delicious chocolate mousse!! I am definitely giving this recipe a try 🙂
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Comment by Amy B — February 14, 2011 @ 1:15 PM
Wow, this looks so incredibly light, airy and decadent! What a wonderful treat for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing! I love your blog and look forward to exploring your recipes. 🙂
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Comment by Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking — February 14, 2011 @ 1:20 PM
Thank you so much, Georgia! 🙂
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Comment by amy — February 14, 2011 @ 1:21 PM
Wait…RAW eggs??
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Comment by Kristy — February 14, 2011 @ 1:24 PM
Yep.
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Comment by amy — February 14, 2011 @ 1:24 PM
It looks to-die-for! Love the addition of the strawberries on each ramekin! The weird thing, though, is that I’m now craving seafood and mousse at the same time… 🙂
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Comment by Kathryn — February 14, 2011 @ 3:14 PM
Yum! This chocolate mousse looks perfect!
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Comment by A Bowl Of Mush — February 14, 2011 @ 7:27 PM
Amy this looks so delicious!! I can’t wait to try it. You know, once my kitchen is in one piece 🙂
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Comment by Anne Marie — February 14, 2011 @ 10:28 PM
yours look soo….light…oh…I really want a bite now…
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Comment by Carine — February 15, 2011 @ 12:55 AM
That looks delicious! I really love mousse and I can’t wait to try this!
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Comment by Amanda L. (Tales From A Kitchen Misfit) — February 15, 2011 @ 7:36 PM
I made this tonight, my first time making any mousse, and it turned out perfectly! Made wayyy more than needed for 2 people but was awesome! Thank you!
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Comment by Chrissy — May 18, 2012 @ 7:23 PM
How much water is needed for simmering? This looks delicious. Making it for a party next week and am going to put it in chocolate shot glasses.
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amy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:24 PM
Only a cup or two
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Comment by VJ — June 28, 2012 @ 11:34 AM
I just made this tonight and while it tastes amazing it didn’t really turn out like your photos. Was a bit less airy. Actually it looks much more like the photos from smitten kitchen where the recipe is originally from. I was hoping for more of a whipped texture and was wondering how you got the mousse to be so light?
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amy Reply:
December 18th, 2013 at 8:56 AM
It’s all in how you fold in the egg whites and whipped cream. The less you stir it, the fluffier it will be.
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Comment by Lindsay — December 18, 2013 @ 8:36 AM