Truly one of my all time favorites, this dessert is all about lots of air and bowls. Even the French word mousse means “lather” or “foam”. Properly made, it is light, airy and dissolves into an intense, chocolate. This will work your dinner guests into a lather too.

Ready

• 8 oz good quality, dark, bittersweet chocolate (I prefer a 60% cocao)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs separated at room temperature*.
• Pinch of cream of tartar (less than ⅛ tsp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream (2nd Cup)

Set

• Several heat proof bowls
• Mixer with whips
• Small saucepan
• Spatula
• Plastic wrap
• Serrated knife
• Cutting board

Go

1. Using the serrated knife finely chop chocolate and place in heat proof bowl.
2. Bring cream in small sauce pan to a boil (cream will rise and threaten to boil over) over medium heat.
3. Immediately pour cream over chocolate. Make sure chocolate is settled in cream.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let set 1 minute.
5. Using spatula, stir chocolate for about two minutes.
6. Continue stirring making sure that the chocolate is completely melted.
7. Let set until it cools to about 70º or room temperature.
8. Whisk egg yolks in small bowl.
9. Temper yolks by adding a small amount of warm chocolate to yolks while stirring.
10. While stirring, add all of yolk mixture to chocolate mixture and set aside.
11. In mixer with whips, whip egg whites on medium speed. When large bubbles appear add cream of tartar and continue to whip to soft peaks.
12. Slowly add sugar a little at a time and continue to whip until egg whites reach medium peak stage (about 4 minutes) and transfer to clean bowl.
13. Using same bowl, whip the second cup of cream on medium speed to soft peaks (about 2 minutes).
14. Gently fold (cut spatula through center down to bottom follow along bottom to side, lift up and over to center. Repeat) egg whites into cream.
15. Gently fold in chocolate until incorporated.
16. Cover and chill for about hour before serving.
17. Will keep in refrigerator for 2 days.

What you should know

Ingredients such as eggs and cream whip better, rise better and all around incorporate better at room temperature (its almost a baking creed.)

By pouring the hot cream over the chocolate you guarantee that you won’t burn the chocolate. It’s also easier and faster than a double boiler.