This easy chocolate mousse recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. It's decadent and delicious, adapted from the Les Halles Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain.
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Something weird happened during our January ice-mageddon. I was productive. Usually I just want to sit around and binge-watch, but I was full of energy. Antsy even. Unwilling to let myself be unproductive.
So I thought of you, and what you might like to be making in the weeks to come. And maybe you'll be craving chocolate for your Valentine's or Galentine's festivities or just craving it in general.
I turned to my own TV boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain (don't worry, my husband knows ALL about it) for inspiration. And this chocolate mousse recipe was just what I was looking for.
So sad that Brasserie Les Halles is no longer there (apparently the downtown location is going strong.) Glad I had the opportunity to enjoy the dark wood and truly cozy Parisian feel on a few occasions before its departure. At least I have the cookbook and my memories.
I've never made chocolate mousse before if you can believe it. And it's silly because it's very simple and that is my game, isn't it? Delicious things that are simple to make. So here you go. Deliciously simple decadence for Valentine's day or any day. Enjoy.
Step by step instructions
Adapted slightly from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook
Anthony recommends Valrhona chocolate, but I used Scharffen Berger. Any good quality dark chocolate will taste great.
This is a quick chocolate mousse recipe in terms of bringing the ingredients together. In less than 30 minutes, they will be ready to pop into the fridge. Leave them there for about 2 hours to set up. That's really not that long to wait for something so delicious.
Bring some water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, place chocolate in a mixing bowl and set over the water to melt slowly. Be sure the water is just gently simmering, not boiling, and stir the chocolate as it melts to keep it from scorching.
I definitely recommend getting a kitchen scale to weigh your chocolate. If you are chopping chocolate or using chocolate chips, those are all going to be different-sized chunks, so you can't use a measuring cup and get an accurate amount.
Scales are not very expensive, don't take up very much space at all, and once you have one, you'll start using it all the time. I love my Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale. They come in a whole bunch of colors! Our kitchen ceiling is orange, so I got this one to match.
Once chocolate is melted, whisk in the orange liqueur. This will make the chocolate seem to seize up, but keep whisking gently and then add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The butter should smooth out the texture. Don't panic about it.
Stir in egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.
In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. I used a hand-held electric mixer with the whisk attachment, but you can also whisk by hand if you're looking for a workout. Gradually add sugar as you mix.
Whisk ¼ of the egg white mixture into the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder.
In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.
Fold into chocolate mixture.
Gently transfer into serving bowls - you don't want to deflate the fluffiness that you've worked so carefully to achieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
You can make some whipped cream to top the whole thing off, but I thought this was perfect as is, the best chocolate mousse doesn't need much else!
Recipe adapted from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook
Tips
- Use a good quality dark chocolate. I've used both block chocolate and chocolate chips for this recipe. But be warned, some chocolate chips do not melt well. I've found that Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips work just fine, but Guittard do not melt at all.
- Using a kitchen scale will ensure that you are truly using the right amount of chocolate every time you make this.
Related recipes
Here are a few more French treats that you might enjoy!
- The hot chocolate they drink in Paris is easier to make than you might think. French-Style Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud only has two ingredients!
- No one can resist these shell-shaped French Madeleines with Earl Grey Tea
Recipe
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips chopped
- 2 ounces orange liqueur Cointreau, Grand Marnier or other
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring some water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, place chocolate in a mixing bowl and set over the water to melt slowly. Be sure the water is just gently simmering, not boiling, and stir the chocolate as it melts to keep it from scorching.
- Once melted, whisk in the orange liqueur. This will make the chocolate seem to seize up, but keep whisking gently and then add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The butter should smooth out the texture. Don't panic about it.
- Stir in egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. I used a hand-held electric mixer with the whisk attachment, but you can also whisk by hand if you're looking for a workout. Gradually add sugar as you mix.
- Whisk ¼ of the egg white mixture into the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder.
- In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture.
- Gently transfer into serving bowls - you don't want to deflate the fluffiness that you've worked so carefully to achieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Top with whipped cream if desired.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale to weigh your chocolate for this recipe. They are inexpensive, and once you have one, you'll find so many uses for it! I have an Escali Primo Digital Scale and I love it. They have a wide array of colors to choose from to suit your personal kitchen style.
Donna Kokorudz
I made this for my friends garden party and everyone loved it. Delicious!!