Make the smoothest easy chocolate mousse

I love chocolate puddings. Ok I just love chocolate.  But chocolate puddings can be pretty good.

I always used to think that making chocolate desserts was going to be complicated (and expensive).  Some are complex and take ages.  And some can be really expensive if you’re using a lot of chocolate. Especially if you opt for decent quality chocolate.  I’m not a chocolate snob (I used to work for Cadbury so I’ll happily scoff a lot of Dairy Milk), but sometimes you just need a fairly decent chocolate to make a good dessert.

Chocolate mousse is one of my favourites and mostly I’ve made it through cheat’s versions (Nigella has one using marshmallows).  But proper chocolate mousse is really easy to make.  Ok, so pregnant women and young children shouldn’t really eat it because the eggs aren’t fully cooked.  But now N’s a bit older I’m not too worried.  And it’s worth making.

What’s great about chocolate mousse?  Other than the richness, smoothness, chocolate-ness, there’s the possible variations of what you can add to pep the mousse up.

I prefer dark chocolate (or a mix of dark and milk chocolate), but changing recipes for white chocolate works well.  It’s just a case of melting the chocolate and some butter, leaving it to cool a bit, beating the separated eggs, , whisking the cream up, then folding everything in in turn. And the mousse is ready for a quick chill.

If you want to add to the mousse, add shortbread or almond thins alongside, chopped hazelnuts or raspberries on top.  Or add a bit of orange zest or mint to flavour the mousse.

Of course, chocolate mousse is really rich.  So stick with smaller rather than large servings.  This recipe serves 4.  I’m a piglet when it comes to puddings, so I and the OH just about managed ours, but N could only eat half.  If you’re serving the chocolate mousse for a dinner party, Gu glass ramekins are a perfect size.  Or why not shop charity shops or car boot sales to collect a mix of different size and shape mini bowls and ramekins for a vintage feel and look.

I was amazed at how quickly the mousse set.  Ideally you don’t want to chill it for too long, but it will last.  I’d say just remove it from the fridge about 5-10 minutes before serving to let it soften slightly and lose some of it’s chill.  The texture isn’t light and fluffy, it’s slightly more dense.  But it’s so smooth and tasty, it’s a real treat.

The only downside is it needs a lot of mixing bowls and washing up afterwards!

Hopefully you’ll enjoy making (and eating) this easy chocolate mousse.

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Smooth & easy chocolate mousse

An easy and super smooth chocolate mousse, made with only 4 ingredients.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 eggs, separated
• 125 ml double cream, lightly whipped

Instructions

1. Break up the chocolate, add the butter and melt gently (I do it in the microwave), stirring regularly until melted, mixed and smooth.  Remove and cool for a few minutes

2. Beat egg yolks and fold these and the cream into the slightly cooled chocolate
   

3. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks, then fold into the chocolate mixture.

4. Spoon or pipe into small ramekins or glasses.  Chill in the fridge until firm 

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