Dark Chocolate Mousse topped with cassis flavored whipped cream

Chocolate mousse is one of the all time favorite French classic desserts. If its decadent and richness doesn’t lure you in, surely its silky smooth, light texture will. Even thought chocolate mousse sounds sophisticated, it’s really quite simple to make. Because it can be made in advance, it’s perfect for dinner parties, plus your guests will love the fact that they get their very own serving.    

Our recipe calls for dark or bittersweet chocolate. Perhaps you are as confused as I am by the percentages of cocoa found in different chocolates. I found this guide in Better Homes & Gardens to be very helpful, link here. If dark chocolate isn’t your thing, by all means substitute semi-sweet chocolate or a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet.

The chocolate can be spiked with all sorts of spirits such dark rum, bourbon, amaretto, or whatever suits your fancy. For a twist of tastes, instead of flavoring the chocolate, we spiked the whip cream with a dash of crème de cassis, a sweet French liqueur made from black currants. As you can see from the color of the whipped cream in the photos, the cassis’s dark red color turns the white whipped cream into a luscious creamy beige. You probably recognize the name cassis from the popular French aperitif the Kir or a Kir Royale. A Kir is made with a dash of crème de cassis topped with white wine and the Kir Royale is made in the same way but topped with bubbling champagne.

Although chocolate mousse can be made in advance, it’s best to make it not more than a day or two before you plan to serve it. The whipped cream can be refrigerated, covered, for up to two hours before serving.
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Dark Chocolate Mousse topped with cassis flavored whipped cream
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – serves 6

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped into chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon good vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate chunks and the butter in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Just before the chocolate mixture finishes melting, remove it from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, then transfer to a clean bowl and set aside and let cool.

Separate the eggs and set the whites aside. Add the egg yolks to the bowl with the chocolate and beat in the yokes with a whisk. Beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until the whites hold stiff peaks, but are not dry. Beat the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

Stir in a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, and then gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining whites. Fold the cream into the mousse.  Divide the mouse into six individual cups or ramekins and refrigerate. Serve within a day or two of making.

When ready to serve, top with your favorite whipped cream recipe, spiked with a dash or two of crème de cassis. Martha Stewart has an easy to follow recipe, link here, with excellent tips. Whipped cream can be made in advance and refrigerated, covered, for up to two hours before serving.

Printable recipe

This recipe will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes, Foodtastic Friday at Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Food of Friday at Carol's Chatter, and Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescaper.

Have a great weekend everyone.