Simple Dark Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Chocolate mousse is a chilled chocolate dessert with an airy texture. Mousse means "foam" in French. Mousse is typically made from a base of whipped cream and whipped egg whites, sometimes stabilized with gelatin. Chocolate mousse usually involves melting chocolate and then slowly adding egg yolks to the melted chocolate. The whipped egg whites or cream are then gently folded into the chocolate mixture.

Chocolate mousse is easy to make and sure to impress. Follow these tips for making dark chocolate mousse:

1. 1. Use quality chocolate. Although you can make chocolate mousse with your typical grocery store chocolate chips, investing in a high-quality chocolate bar will make your mousse even more chocolatey. The best chocolate to use has 70 percent cacao content.
2. 2. Use a double boiler. For chocolate mousse recipes that involve melting chocolate to make a chocolate ganache or custard, be sure to melt the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl set over simmering water. A double boiler will prevent the chocolate from burning.
3. 3. Consider gelatin. Traditional chocolate mousse does not include gelatin, but if you're going to make a chocolate mousse cake or something that needs extra stability, a few gelatin sheets or a teaspoon or two of powdered gelatin can help. If you're serving chocolate mousse in a ramekin, skip the gelatin.
4. 4. Add liqueur or espresso. Many dark chocolate mousse recipes call for liqueur (such as orange liqueur, Chartreuse, or Amaretto) or a shot of espresso to the chocolate mixture to deepen the dark chocolate flavor.