The Best Ever Chocolate Mousse

At 14, I started collecting my favorite recipes in an old agenda my father had given me. The third recipe on my recipe repertoire was chocolate mousse. It is my favorite dessert to make to family and friends.

What's not to like about it? It requires no cooking, except for melting the chocolate, and most important, everybody loves chocolate mousse. When I’ve discovered Pierre Hermé’s chocolate mousse recipe in recent years, I adopted it right away and forgot my former recipes.

Pierre Hermé is a famous French pastry chef known to some as “the Picasso of pastry." What makes his chocolate mousse recipe excellent and decadent is its light texture and lower calories. Most recipes use heavy cream or butter.

It is very easy to make and can be prepared up to two days in advance. It keeps very well in the fridge. All you do is melt the chocolate, mix it with milk and egg yolk, then gently fold in whipped egg whites. Because the recipe only has few ingredients, use a good quality chocolate. No need to fuss with fancy chocolatiers — I use my standard chocolate of choice: Ghirardelli 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate. I think it’s pretty delicious, both to eat plain and in this mousse.

Just don’t be like me and wait years to make the perfect chocolate mousse. Set a date, get in the kitchen and treat yourself and loved ones.

Chocolate mousse

Adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (Little, Brown and Company, 2001)

Serves 4

• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl large enough to contain all of the ingredients and accommodate the folding process. Place the bowl over a simmering water bath. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water and the water is kept to a simmer. Take off the heat when the chocolate is melted.

Gently bring the milk to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the melted chocolate and slowly whisk. Add the egg yolk and whisk until fully incorporated. 

Whip eggs whites on medium speed until they reach a soft peak (a light texture). Increase to medium high and gradually add sugar in a slow steady stream until egg whites are firm and glossy. The chocolate mixture should be cool by the time the egg whites are ready.

Add 1/3 of whites to chocolate mixture and gently whisk to combine and lighten the chocolate mixture. Switch to a large rubber spatula and gently fold in remaining 2/3 egg whites until there are no streaks. Pour into individual servings or a large bowl. Chill for about two hours. Serve topped with raspberries or blackberries if desired.

The texture of this mousse is lighter if served after the chilling. However, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. I personally like its texture after 24 hours in the fridge. The longer it stays refrigerated, the denser it will be.

Local shopping spots

• Eggs: in West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills has a sale on Grade A large eggs every Sunday (one dozen for 69 cents).  in West Bloomfield has a sale on Eggland's Best organic large eggs (two dozen for $7).
• Raspberries/blackberries: has a sale on imported raspberries or blackberries (two half-pints for $4).
• Milk: has a sale on Bareman's milk (any variety, one gallon for $2.39 / limit two).
• Almond milk: For a calorie-free milk, has a sale on Silk PureAlmond or PureCoconut milk (half gallon for $2.79/with card).