Friday 14 October 2011

Chocolate Mousse - National Chocolate Week


Today, I am featuring Chocolate Mousse on the blog. I rarely need a reason to eat chocolate, but this week I have an extra incentive as it is National Chocolate Week. Did you know that the average person in the UK consumes just under 7oz of chocolate a week? I tend to eat chocolate in cakes, biscuits and desserts rather than chocolate bars, as I find if I have chocolate bars in the house on a regular basis, they are eaten at an alarming rate. 

Chocolate has been consumed in the UK since 1650. Due to it's physical and mood enhancing qualities, it was one of the most important medicines carried by an apothecarie. So whenever you feel the need for chocolate, you have any excuse as you could say it is just what the doctor ordered!!

I chose to make this Chocolate Mousse for National Chocolate Week as it is really light and tasty. I also liked the idea of making an adult boozy version and child's version. I have adapted the recipe from Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals recipe book. As my kids are not allowed chocolate bars often, this is a great treat for them. They love to it eat on its own and also use it as a dip for fruit.


National Chocolate week is running from the 10th to the 16th of October. For more info go to the Chocolate Week website or follow Chocolate week on Twitter.

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
300g of Milk or Dark Chocolate (I chose milk)
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
300ml Double Cream
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs
A splash of Brandy, Baileys, grand Marnier or Armagnac
Cocoa Powder/Icing Sugar/Golden Syrup for decorating
Fruit to decorate (or mint chocolate pieces if using baileys)

Method
  1. Boil the kettle and fill a pan 1/3 full of boiling water.
  2. With the chocolate still in the wrapper, take a large rolling pin and smash the chocolate into small pieces.
  3. Take a heat-proof bowl, add the chocolate and butter, heat over a pan of simmering water and  leave to melt, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a separate bowl, add the golden caster sugar, whipped cream and vanilla extract together and whip until the mixture forms soft peaks.
  5. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in with the whipped cream and the whites in another mixing bowl. Stir the yolks through the cream mixture to combine.
  6. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites in the other bowl and whisk until stiff.
  7. By this time, the chocolate should have melted, so spoon it into the bowl with the whipped cream and mix well. At this point you can also add a swig of your favourite liqueur and stir through. (I separated some mousse for the children, before adding baileys to the mixture for the grown-ups.)
  8. Gently fold the egg whites through your mixture with a spatula (do this for both if having a grown-up and child version).
   

3 comments :

  1. Mmn delicious! Haven't tried Jamie's recipe yet but will do, could eat it right now in fact!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, alcoholic mousse for me please. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for visiting both of you. Jamie's recipe is fab and its also nice to eat a grownup pudding for once.

    ReplyDelete

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