Quick and Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

This recipe is perfect for when you need a quick chocolate fix or a last-minute gourmet dessert. I run into so many recipes that take cream or other ingredients that I don’t always have on hand, but this recipe only takes milk, eggs, and chocolate, which I always have. Plus, aside from chilling time, preparation is quick and easy, yet even without cream this chocolate mousse is light, fluffy, and oh so rich and chocolaty.

• 2 eggs separated
• 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark or Ghirardelli 60% Cacao)
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons milk
  

1. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. Heat the chocolate chips and milk on a double-boiler over medium-low heat. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
3. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well until fully incorporated.
4. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until the texture is even throughout. Be careful not to over-mix.
5. Pour the mousse into wine glasses, bowls or other serving dishes and refrigerate for one hour or until set.

Serving suggestions: garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint.

With so few ingredients and so much chocolate, this recipe is really hard to mess up. The hardest part is getting the right texture, between melting the chocolate and folding the egg whites, and it took me two tries to get a batch I considered perfect. Here are some things I learned in the process:

• I recommend whipping the egg whites first so they are ready as soon as your chocolate mixture comes off the heat. That way there is less chance of the chocolate cooling and hardening, which could make folding the egg whites rather challenging. If your good at multitasking you can whip the egg whites while the chocolate is melting, but when I tried that, I didn’t take the chocolate off the heat soon enough and it started seising, leaving lumps in my mousse.

• Fancy equipment isn’t necessary for a double boiler. I just use a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and it works perfectly. If you want even less work you can try melting the chocolate in the microwave, or heating the milk first and using that to melt the chocolate. Though personally I find a double boiler to be the best way to melt chocolate evenly.

• Folding in the egg whites is the key to getting a nice, fluffy texture, but it may take some practice. On the one hand you want an even texture so your guests don’t suddenly find a lump of plain egg white in their mousse, but if you over-mix you’re going to lose all the air the egg whites provide and your texture will be a lot denser.

Though as I mentioned before, this recipe is hard to mess up. Even if you end up with chocolate lumps or an uneven or flat texture, the rich and chocolaty taste will still be there.

As simple as this recipe is, it’s open to a wide range of experimentation.  Try substituting coffee, brandy, or orange juice for the milk to get a subtle flavoring, or add a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, or peppermint extract.  I haven’t tried these variations yet, so let me know how they come out!

As you may have noticed, this recipe contains raw egg. I am the kind of person who has no problem eating cookie dough or licking cake batter off the spatula, so this doesn’t bother me at all. Just use good judgment here and pay attention to your eggs.