Chocolate Mousse

By FASCN8G

Ingredients

• Garnish:
• 2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 T sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (50-60% cocoa), chopped
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Heat 3/4 cup cream in 1 quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combines well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until registers 160 on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50% power 3-5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk 1/4 of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
Spoon mousse into 8 6-oz stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Notes:
Mousse can be chilled up to 1 day.
To vary flavor, you can replace the vanilla with 2 t instant espresso powder (dissolve it in the hot cream) or 3 T grand marnier or 2 T cognac (either one whisked into strained custard).