Chocolate, Espresso and Whisky Mousse

Though the name now escapes me, my brother and I lived for the cheap and tacky chocolate mousse you could buy in individual serves in the yoghurt section of the supermarket. Little plastic squares piped full with imitation chocolate mousse, something that resembled aerosol cream, garnished with little cheap chocolate flakes on top. We honestly thought we were the height of sophistication getting to eat one after dinner as a special treat! How glad I am that my taste buds were truly awakened to the amazing flavour and texture that only comes from a beautifully made, real chocolate mousse.

This is a very elegant and balanced mousse and makes a great after dinner dessert that is not too heavy. I have been making this mousse recently using my test batches of 70% Brazilian chocolate, but you can choose to use any good quality dark chocolate around 70%, so long as it doesn’t have any overpowering characteristics. This is because you want to achieve a lovely balance between the chocolate, coffee and alcohol.

In our store, the most popular chocolate that would work perfectly would be our 72% from Ecuador. A smooth and refined chocolate, it has beautiful strong coffee notes and hints of liquorice and dried fruits. You do not need to use whisky; you could substitute this with rum or even water if you don’t wish to use alcohol. And although I know it is hard try to make this the night before, the flavours really do balance out beautifully after resting overnight in the fridge.

METHOD

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Stir gently until well combined, then remove from the heat and stir in the coffee.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and creamy. Add the whisky, and whisk again. Carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Set aside.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Stir a few tablespoons into the chocolate mixture and then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined.

Spoon into individual glasses and chill for a few hours or preferably overnight. Garnish with some chocolate pieces or cream if you wish. This mousse will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Huge thanks to Jade the Chocolate Maker for another irresistible chocolate treat!  You can check out Jade’s work on the Monsieur Truffe website – their entire range is handmade by Jade and her team in Brunswick.  You can also follow Jade’s daily chocolate making adventures on Instagram!