Classic Mousse Au Chocolat

Looking for a decadent dessert that everyone in the family will enjoy? Creamy, fluffy, and rich chocolate mousse that never fails to impress, this classic recipe is not for the occasional chocolatier- it’s for the chocolate-obsessed French purist that wants the real thing.

Quarantine day 3,789. Wake up. Brew favourite black coffee with Aeropress (shout out to European Roasterie in Minnesota for continuing to sell Jamaican Me Crazy online) and cuddle with the dog. Reflect on the fact that Love Island UK S6 is over, and you have no idea what show to watch next. Check IG to make sure Siânnise/Luke and Finley/Paige are still together. Feed your starter. Consider working out. Proceed to change into workout clothes, but then stream TikTok instead. 

My dog, Porter, has probably benefitted most from quarantine, in that we have spent almost every day outside or at the park, and he scored his very own backyard when we recently moved into a cute little house in the suburbs last week. After too many years bouncing between duplexes and apartments while in dental school, living in a house sort of feels like real adulting. Yay? 

Let’s face it, quarantine is starting to feel a little bit boring. As we continue to live in this new reality, I have found it important to embrace the solitude and monotony of unplanned days as an opportunity to focus on what we should prioritise in our lives. What makes you happy? In an uncertain world, the only thing we can control is how we react to it. I have been spending this last week reflecting on the gift of stillness and focusing on being present and intentional in all the little moments we have been given during the quarantine of 2020. For me one of these things has been diving deep into the kitchen to create, and it probably has been for many of you as well. My newest project has been learning new French recipes, and building on my bread baking skills. Namely, studying preferments and making my first levain (more on this in the coming weeks). Therefore, this week I decided to perfect one of my new favorite desserts- chocolate mousse.

A couple weeks ago, I was craving chocolate. Big time. While perusing through NYT Cooking, I stumbled upon the richest chocolate recipe I could imagine- french chocolate mousse. I first read about this French classic from Karen Le Billon in French Kids Eat Everything, an interesting perspective on the differences between French and North American children’s eating habits, as well as musings on French authoritarian parenting. She describes making this dessert for her children, a recipe that on the surface looks daunting and fussy, but in reality it all has to do with perspective. It really is the easiest recipe, no matter how fancy it sounds. It’s something I learned the hard way as a self-taught baker- that truly anyone can bake anything, regardless of how difficult the recipe seems or how intricate the details. If you have the right mindset in the kitchen, you can enjoy the experience of making something new.

After researching numerous methods and ingredients, I developed my own spin on classic mousse au chocolat to share with you. I triple tested it in my kitchen to be sure you can’t go wrong. This recipe is not for the occasional chocolatier- it’s for the chocolate obsessed French purist that wants the real thing. Read: all the butter. 

Tips for a successful mousse: 

• The chocolate should be of high quality, preferably bittersweet chocolate with at least 72% cacao. An affordable option is Trader Joe’s Pound Plus, imported from Belgium. If your melting chocolate has too much sugar, your mousse will be overly sweet and sludgy. 

• Don’t burn your chocolate while melting. This is best achieved by using a double boiler to slowly temper the chocolate. A bowl with tempered glass for melting is best, but two pots can be used in a pinch. The water in the bottom pot should be cool enough for you to be able to put your hand into it, but warm enough to create a steam to melt the chocolate. I don’t recommend melting chocolate in the microwave because this often leads to burning, negatively effecting the taste and consistency of the chocolate. 

• Use room temperature eggs. We will be adding the egg yolks to warm chocolate, so if the eggs are too cold the chocolate will seize-up or harden. I usually leave my eggs out on the counter for an hour or two before I’m ready to start baking. 

• Be sure your melted chocolate has properly cooled for a period of time before adding the eggs. If the chocolate is too hot you will cook the eggs, resulting in a curdled mixture of chocolate and cooked egg pieces (Ew! It’s happened to the best of us.) I start making the meringue once the chocolate is melted to give it time to cool. The temperature of the melted chocolate should be around 97°F prior to adding the egg yolks. 

• Beat the meringue until stiff peaks form. Avoid problems while making the meringue by whipping the egg whites very quickly and only adding sugar about 1-2 T at a time, and never all at once. Also be sure to beat the egg whites long enough. If your meringue looks creamy and deflated, you probably didn’t give it enough time!

• While mixing the meringue into the chocolate, fold the meringue very gently. If you stir too vigorously, you will deflate your mousse. Simply scrape the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and fold over into the middle, while turning to bowl with your opposite hand. I often times leave white streaks in the mixture to avoid over-mixing the mousse. 

I hope you enjoy this classic chocolate mousse recipe as much as we did. Bon appétit!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Classic Mousse Au Chocolat Recipe

Looking for a decadent dessert that everyone in the family will enjoy? Creamy, fluffy, and rich chocolate mousse that never fails to impress, this classic recipe is not for the occasional chocolatier- it’s for the chocolate-obsessed French purist that wants the real thing.

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chill Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chocolate, chocolate mousse recipe, mousse, mousse au chocolat

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Alicia

Equipment

• Kitchen-aid stand mixer
• Double boiler, or equivalent

Ingredients

• 127 grams (1/4 lb) bittersweet chocolate (at least 72% cacao dark chocolate) roughly chopped
• 86 grams (6 T) unsalted butter cut in small pieces
• 3 large eggs room temperature and separated
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) superfine granulated sugar
• 1 pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

• Place chopped chocolate in double boiler and temper chocolate slowly and stirring often, about 11 minutes.

  *DIY double boiler: Place smaller pot under larger pot of similar size (see photo above), fill lower pot with 1 inch of water. Heat water on low to create a steam, but you should still be able to put your hand into the water. Place larger pot on top with chocolate and stir until melted.
• Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Stir in butter and mix until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to transfer chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.
• Make meringue. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a stand or hand mixer on high. Once soft, white peaks form, slowly add sugar 1-2 T at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form.
• When chocolate mixture is cooled at or below 97°F, add egg yolks and stir vigorously until combined.
• Gently fold 1/3 the meringue into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides on the bowl and folding inward, while turning the bowl with your opposite hand. Fold in remaining meringue, 1/3 at a time. Mix until combined.

  *It is OK to leave white streaks to avoid over-mixing and deflating the mousse.
• Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

*Regular granulated sugar may be substituted for superfine sugar, but the mousse will have a grainy texture.

*This mousse may be made up to 24 hours before serving.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @thetoothsometable on Instagram and hashtag it #thetoothsometable