How soon can I make chocolate mousse? Need it for Thursday lunch....

M

marilynfl

Moderator
And I'm waffling on which recipe to use:

one that use egg yolks (Julia's) or one that only uses egg whites (Maida Heatter's) or one that doesn't use any eggs at all? (can't remember who's that was...)

Plus I have to lug this to work...and I have over an hour commute, so there's that "how to keep it cold" aspect.

And do I put it into the serving cups ahead of time...or wait until I'm at work and do it there? Cause I'm worried about deflation aspects.

...and, most important, why do I do this to myself? Why don't I just opt for the "bring paper plates" option?

It's epicurian flagellation, that's what it is. I wonder if there's a 10-step program for it?

Hello, my name is Marilyn and I suffer from chronic EF.

 
just bring gingerbread marilyn. you could make that in your sleep. serve with pumpkin fluff.

 
seriously, can't Julia's recipe be frozen? just bring along frozen and it will thaw on the way in

the cooler. I made it for the chocolate bombe and froze it, but it was mixed in with pieces of chocolate cake and stuffed in the center of the bombe, so I don't know what would happen with just frozen mousse. anyway, just a thought.

 
Hey Marilyn, I have an incredible, deep, dark chocolate mousse from Cook's Ilustrated - Let me know

if you want me to post it.

 
Honey Chocolate Mousse

Marilyn, I have never frozen this and don't know what would happen. My sense is that anything with whipped cream in it might not react well (deflating, perhaps), but I really don't know. Do you have a kitchen at work where you could make this quickly once you get into work?

In any case, here's the recipe. I've made it many times.

Honey Chocolate Mousse
8 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons honey

Directions

Stir 3/4 cup cream, chocolate, and honey in a heavy, medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally.

In large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups of cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into mousse in two additions. Divide mousse among 8 3/4 cup ramekins. Refridgerate until set, about 2 hours. Whip remaining 1/2 cup cream, spoon over mousse.

 
Here ya go - it's fantastic. Dark Chocolate Mousse:

DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

"When developing this recipe, we used our winning supermarket brand of dark chocolate, Ghirardelli bittersweet, which contains about 60 percent cacao. If you choose to make the mousse a day in advance, leave it out at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with very lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A hand-held mixer can do the job of a standing mixer in this recipe, though mixing times may vary slightly."

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Ghirardelli 60%) *See note below if using 62-70% cacao)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed) (I used Dutch processed)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
5 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon brandy
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 additional tablespoons (chilled)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, water, and brandy in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in medium bowl until mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until combined. Let cool until just warmer than room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute. Detach whisk and bowl from mixer and whisk last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unbeaten whites from bottom of bowl.

4. Using whisk, stir about one-quarter of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in remaining egg whites with rubber spatula until a few white streaks remain.

5. In now-empty bowl, whip heavy cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 15 seconds more.

6. Using rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon into 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Makes 3 1/2 cups (6 to 8 servings)

*VARIATIONS:
Premium variation - 62-70% cacao needs 3 tablespoons sugar, 7 tablespoons water and 3 large eggs separated

Raspberry variation - 4 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons Chambord
Orange variation - 3 strips orange zest, 4 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier)

from the Episode: Dark Chocolate Desserts
America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=3229&iSeason=7

 
for transport, I would take some of those gel type freezer packs and then bend them around your bowl

and set that bowl in a larger bowl and into a cooler. No messy ice cubes to leak onto your mousse.

 
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