Today we’re going back to the basics with this delicious chocolate mousse recipe. It’s really easy, very chocolatey and fluffy. The reason I decided to make this is actually because of Pinterest. I saw this amazing photo, and I thought I had to give it a go.
The last time I made mousse was actually over 4 years ago; it was actually a layered triple chocolate mousse. It was a big achievement for me at that age (13 years old!) and it makes me realise that I have been cooking for a really long time.
The original recipe I saw on Pinterest was actually by Julia Childs, who of course was of the most amazing French chefs. However, I thought her mousse was quite laborious. I’m sure the results are amazing, but I just wanted something a bit more simple.
So this recipe is inspired by Chef Ludo Lefebre from the French Restaurant Petit Trois. He uses a method similar to Julia Child, but slightly less steps and with only 4 ingredients! I topped mine with a hazelnut praline and shaved chocolate – this is optional of course.
It tastes wonderful on its own! A good mousse recipe is something everyone should have in their repertoire. The key to making a delicious mousse is high quality chocolate and eggs. This recipe does involve raw eggs and I am very sorry if this does concern you. Holidays are also coming to an end soon; only one more week to go! They always go way to quickly.
It’s actually pretty funny, because I was reminded by my cousin, who is 10 years old, that things are different when you’re younger. She said that she doesn’t have much to do over the holidays. And I’m pretty sure I thought the same thing when I was her age. But now I feel like it’s the complete opposite. I have so much to do and enough time to do it. So I hope enjoyed this blog post, thank you for reading and here is the recipe…
French Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut Praline
This recipe is adapted from Ludo Lefebvre via Bon Appetit.
French Chocolate Mousse
- 175g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped
- 85g unsalted butter, cubed
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature
- 6 egg whites, room temperature
- 90g sugar
- Hazelnut praline (recipe below), to decorate
- Dark chocolate shavings, to decorate
- Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until there are no more lumps and it is smooth (this is called a bain marie or double boiler, where the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and 50g of sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Using clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining 40g of sugar. Continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Mix in half of the egg white mixture to loosen the mousse, then gently fold in the remaining half to retain the air without deflation.
- Divide mousse among glasses, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, decorate with hazelnut praline and shaved chocolate.
Mousse can be made 4 days ahead, covered and chilled.
Hazelnut Praline
- 60g roasted hazelnuts
- 100g sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- Line a tray with baking paper. Scatter hazelnuts over the tray.
- In medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan and stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved and it begins to turn a golden-amber colour.
- Pour caramel over the nuts, until everything is evenly spread and coated. Allow to cool completely, and break into shards.