There is a dish that speaks of deep richness, a thick creamy substance comprised of that most decadent of flavors, chocolate. This is the day dedicated to this most delicious of desserts. This isn’t a day for delicacy though, this is the day to completely immerse yourself in this dedication to culinary debauchery. Julia Child is known as having created the perfect Chocolate Mousse, including dark-brewed coffee, butter, bittersweet chocolate, eggs, dark rum, and vanilla extract. This Chocolate Mousse day, let your creativity shine!
In French, the word Mousse means ‘foam’, and this is an apt description of this dessert, being light and frothy, or creamy and thick, it all depends on how you prepare this scrumptious treat. Though the origins of this delicacy are largely unknown, it is known that it was a popular dish in the 18th century in France. However the first written record of its appearance is actually from an exposition in New York City in 1892.
The recipe first started appearing in a “Housekeepers Column” in the 1897 edition of the Boston globe. The recipe actually produced a dish with far more in common with chocolate pudding, instead of the more familiar foamy treat of this day. It wasn’t until egg whites were introduced to the recipe, parted from the yellow yolks. It was an art form to create the mousse, as it was necessary to hand whip it at a consistent pace for a long period of time, it wasn’t until the electric mixer was involved that it became common to produce the proper consistency.
There are many recipes for a chocolate mousse, all of them introducing different combinations of flavorings and toppings, all in the attempt to produce the perfect mousse flavor and consistency. The first step of creating the perfect chocolate mousse is of course utilizing the best possible chocolate available to you.
There are many ways to celebrate this day, among them being serving chocolate mousse to your family, or bringing them into the office. A challenge can be laid out to those co-workers to bring in their favorite chocolate mousse, whether it’s an old family recipe, or one from their favorite confectionary shop.
There are those who claim that the perfect rendition of a chocolate mousse is based in its simplicity. The very basis of most French Cuisine is to create a panoply of flavors using only the most basic of flavors and techniques. The most basic of chocolate mousse recipes has just five ingredients, and is presented below.
French Chocolate Mousse recipe
- 11 oz of chocolate (dark is the preferred method)
6 large eggs
2 oz of butter, plus a bit.
1.6 oz of sugar
Pinch of salt
The recipe is remarkably simple on the surface, but the importance lay in processing it exactly. You first need to melt the chocolate with butter in a double boiler, waiting until the top presents with a silky shine. While this is going on, you’ll need to whip the egg whites with the salt, and then add the egg yolks with the sugar, and complete the mix with the chocolate, whipping all the while. After this you’ll need to place it in the fridge for 6 hours.
This is the most basic recipe for chocolate mousse, and from here on out it takes little more than your innovation to produce a special blend all your own. There are so many directions you can go, though you must be careful to maintain a proper balance of ingredients to keep the consistency. Vanilla extract is a popular additive, as are various rich dark alcohols such as rum.
