Dark chocolate Mousse with creme de cacao blanc
Ingredients
Mousse
- 360 ml pouring cream or thickened cream
- 100 ml sour cream
- 1 gold leave geletine
- 2 egg
- 2 egg yolk
- 320 gm dark chocolate
Creme de Cacao Blanc
- 150 ml cream
- 70 gm white chocolate
- holly basil flowers optional
- baby mint leaves optional
Instructions
Mousse
- Melt the chocolate either in a bowl over slightly simmering water or very slowly on half power in the microwave. Allow to cool slightly.
- Place gelatine leaf in a bowl of cold water to soften.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until very pale and very fluffy.
- In another bowl whisk to cream to very soft peaks.
- In a small sauce pan bring the sour cream just to a boil, remove from heat and add the squeezed out gelatine leaf. Stir until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.
- To the fluffy eggs add the cooled sour cream and slightly cooled chocolate, and fold through until just but evenly combined.
- Add the whisked cream and gently fold until evenly combined. The idea is to retain as much air as you can so slow and gentle is the key.
- Once all is combined then spoon into your pots, containers or bowl. Leave to set overnight in the fridge.
Creme
- In either a bowl set over simmering water or a very slowly in the microwave melt the white chocolate. Allow to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl whisk the cream until just soft peaks. Add the white chocolate to the cream and fold until evenly combined. Allow to set in the fridge.
- To assemble. Spoon the creme on top of the mousse and decorate with the herb flowers, baby mint leaves and chocolate shaves.
Notes
For both the creme and the mousse, it is really important to not over whip the cream. You want only just soft peaks for both.
When melting the chocolate don’t let the water in the bay marie touch the bottom of the bowl or your chocolate will seize and you will need to start again. Also a metal spoon is best for chocolate as it does not retain moisture. The enemy of chocolate.
If your creme de cacao blanc is too stiff after setting just add a little cream and mix through to loosen a touch.
Don’t throw away those precious egg whites. I have a tasty recipe coming next that will use them right up. In the meantime freeze the beauties until your ready to use them.
Gelatine leafs can be found in good supermarkets, most health food stores, specialty cooking supply stores or online.
The flowering herbs were from my over achieving herbs pots. Try growing your own or try your local farmers markets