Chocolate mousse is one of the most popular desserts in France. You’ll find it on bistrot menus, in cafeterias, and on the face of many young gourmands. Most French home cooks follow the recipe printed on the back of the 200g bar of Nestle baking chocolate, which calls 7 oz of 52% dark chocolate and 6 eggs.
Now that I live in the US, I make it with 6 oz of 70% chocolate for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. I usually use 2 bars of BOHO Chocolate’s 70% Ghana ABOCFA bars, which lend the mousse a classic fudgy flavor. You’ll find the 2-bar bundle on the 37 Chocolates e-shop, which ships with the printed recipe.
Making mousse is easy if you make sure to bring your eggs to room temperature beforehand. Otherwise, the chocolate will harden and you’ll have to start over. The recipe below can easily be halved, if desired.
FRENCH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Note: the eggs in this recipe aren’t cooked, which can expose you to salmonella. Daniel Haran of Chocolats Monarque recommends sing an immersion circulator to sterilize your eggs.
Ingredients for 6 people
- 6 ounces of 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 6 large eggs, brought to room temperature, separated
Instructions
- Start by melting your chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using a microwave, put the chocolate in a large bowl and let it melt in 30-second increments. Stir well after each cooking cycle and be careful not to burn the chocolate. Set aside.
- While the chocolate is cooling, separate the eggs. Place the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a small bowl.
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Combine the egg yolks one by one to the melted chocolate.
- With a spatula, mix ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold the remaining with a spatula, one cup at a time.
- Divide the mousse into 6 cups or ramekins and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.