I swear mousse au chocolat, or chocolate mousse was a dessert that was always present at dinner parties, birthdays or restaurant menus when I was younger. In recent years, however, I seldom come across the popular French classic anymore. A victim of its own success perhaps? And what a shame that is!
Chocolate mousse is SUCH an easy dessert recipe to make. Ready in a cinch, you can make a big batch ahead of serving time. Requiring just eggs and dark chocolate, it’s gluten free and dairy-free, making it a brilliant dinner party dessert to suit several dietary restrictions.
Here, the addition of fragrant cardamom lifts the rich and earthy notes of chocolate bringing a floral and citrusy balance to make the chocolate dessert even lighter than it is.
Ingredients
200g Dark Chocolate (70%)
6 Medium Eggs
A pinch of Salt
2–4 Cardamom Pods (or 1/4 tsp of Ground Cardamom)
METHOD
- To grind the cardamom pods, open the pods and add the seeds in a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use a spice grinder too. Four cardamom pods will bring a strong cardamom flavour to your chocolate mousse. If you’re after a more subtle note you may want to use 2 or 3 pods instead. You can, of course, use ground cardamom powder too, it may be less strong in flavour so taste throughout to adjust the cardamom potency to your preference.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks together to loosen them up.
- Next, break the dark chocolate up into smaller pieces and place in a large bowl over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. Add in the cardamom powder. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, take the bowl off the pot of simmering water. You can taste here the mixture and more cardamom if you’re after a stronger flavour.
- Add in the egg yolks all at once and mix vigorously until combined.
- Now, add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk into fairly firm peaks, using a stand mixer or a hand beater.
- Add in a third of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and mix together to loosen up. Then, fold the rest of the egg whites very gently into the mixture until just combined using a maryse or spatula (being careful not to overmix).
- Delicately put the cardamom chocolate mousse into four whiskey glasses or small bowls and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight, until set.
- You can serve them with a little whipped cream or a grating of chocolate if desired.
Find it online: https://www.ourmodernkitchen.com/cardamom-chocolate-mousse/