Quick Chocolate Mousse

Quick Chocolate Mousse

Inspired by:

Nigella Lawson’s Instant chocolate mousse

Why?

It’s Australia Day on the 26^th of January, and I wanted to make something that was “Australian.” The last time I had checked the shops, they did not have golden syrup so I could not make Anzac biscuits, and recently some dictionary has ascribed the Pavlova to New Zealand (although I am planning to make one next week for our next lot of visitors) so I thought I would try making fake Timtams! I’m using chocolate mousse for the chocolate icing inside them so I made a little extra for dessert.

Time Taken:

10 mins melting+ 10 mins cooling+ 20 mins refrigeration =40 mins.

Dirty Dishes:

Saucepan, spoon

I used:

150g Gluten free marshmallows

1 Tbs of dairy free margarine (can substitute for oil)

250g dairy free chocolate (I used 40% cocoa solids)

¾ cup dairy free milk substitute

1tsp vanilla essence/powder.

What I did:

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan over a low heat. 
Stir mixture continually until marshmallows are melted, taking care not to boil the mixture. 
Let mixture cool for ten minutes, and then pour into serving dishes and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
If desired, a teaspoon of mint or another essence can be mixed in before refrigeration to give the mousse another flavor. 
Serve and enjoy.

Comments after eating Quick Chocolate Mousse:

Delicious, we enjoyed it and so did our visitors. My husband said he liked it better than the other mousse and better than my chocolate brownie. . .which I can't remember him saying before.

What I would do different:

Next time I will ensure I stir on the bottom enough, as at the end I thought I had burnt it a little, but the chocolate had just congealed. I’d probably make more so I can eat it again as it serves 4-6 depending on portion size and so this time there wasn't too much left for the next day.

Chocolate Mousse (Slice)

Chocolate Mousse (Slice)

Inspired by:

A recipe posted on the Nigella website by someone in the community. I have looked for it and can’t find it anymore.

The idea of Mousse cake- it sounds easy to eat and delicious

Brownie recipe- Family Circle Cookbook for Kids

Why?

I have tried the chocolate mousse before and it is fabulous. My husband always eats chocolate mousse for dessert whenever we go out for dinner, so I was bound to make it again soon! I decided on trying it as a slice because I wanted to see if it could taste almost like a rich chocolate cheesecake, or have the texture of one, or just make chocolate mousse easier to eat with your fingers!

I used:

Base:

100g dairy free margarine (melted)

1 cup gluten free self raising flour

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup cocoa

1 Tsp powdered vanilla /essence

Mousse:

200g dark chocolate- dairy free

6 egg whites (from fresh eggs)

3 egg yolks (from fresh eggs)

A pinch of salt

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C, and grease/line 20cmx30cm tray.

For the base, combine sugar, flour, cocoa and vanilla in a bowl and gradually add margarine. 
Mix until well combined, the mixture may be quite grainy. 
Press mixture firmly into tin and bake for 15-20 mins (I baked for 20 mins and the base was a bit hard, maybe bake less or add a touch more margerine?). 
Take out of the oven to cool.

For the Mousse:

Crack open the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, keeping three yolks in one bowl/container, and all the whites in another. (You can use the other 3 yolks in another recipe.)

Now it is time to whisk the egg whites and salt until they are snow white and form stiff peaks.

If you have an electric mixer use the whisk attachment. It is also very possible, although a good work out, with a hand whisk (I made my first batch with a hand whisk-whisking is in the wrist) or hand beater. 
This batch I did with the hand beater and it took me between 5 and 10 minutes to get the whites right.

Once you have whisked the egg whites and salt set it aside in a cool place.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler/bain- marie and take off the heat.
Mix the 3 egg yolks into the melted chocolate and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, mix a tablespoons worth of egg whites into the chocolate mixture, as you mix in the egg whites take care to stir in the same direction. 
Slowly add the rest of the egg whites, bit by bit. 
Once it is all combined, pour into serving dishes of your choice and place in the refrigerator until set. (5 hours?)

Comments after eating Chocolate Mousse (Slice)

Delightful. Our guests loved it too. At first the base was a bit too hard as I had overcooked it, or had not got the ingredient ratios right for a brownie biscuit. But a few days in the fridge and the base softened quite well. It's a big chocolate hit, but as a slice you can eat it in little bites over several days. After about 6 days the mousse separates from the base when you cut it. This would taste great with a mint flavoured mousse!