Soft and frothy, almost like a velvety embrace: the chocolate mousse is a timeless spoon dessert, capable of winning over the palate of anyone who tastes it. The richness of the chocolate blends with the lightness of the whipped cream, creating an irresistible pairing that caresses the palate with every taste.
Chocolate mousse: method
First you need to make the Italian meringue:
- Pour the sugar and water into a deep saucepan: cook over low heat.
- With a food thermometer check the temperature: it must reach 121°C. While you wait for the temperature to rise, prepare the egg whites in a bowl.
- When the syrup reaches 114°C, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks (for convenience we recommend using an electric whisk).
- When the temperature of the syrup has reached 121°C, lower the whisk speed and pour half the syrup into the stiffly whipped egg whites, then pour in the rest in a thin stream, increasing the speed again. At this stage it is important not to deflate the egg whites!
- Keep whipping until the meringue has cooled: it should be glossy and clear.
Now let's move on to preparing the dark chocolate mousse (we chose dark chocolate, but you can use any type of chocolate. For example, you can prepare a white chocolate mousse in the same way).
- Start by chopping the chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Melt the dark chocolate at 50°C (45°C if it is milk chocolate, 42°C for white chocolate).
- Whip a small part of the cream and melt it with the gelatine sheets at 45–50°C.
- Emulsify everything with the chocolate and add the meringue prepared earlier. This is a decisive step: for a successful mousse, the determining factor is temperature. When you add the meringue, the chocolate should be at a temperature between 38°C and 40°C, no lower.
- Stir everything from the bottom upwards to blend your ingredients.
N.B. For the mousse to turn out well, it is recommended that the whipped ingredients be ready to use and that all the parts be combined in quick succession so as to keep the temperatures. The mousse should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten at 4–10°C.
A mousse for every palate
Every palate has its own needs to satisfy, which is why we suggest a few tempting combinations to surprise your guests with indulgent, refined flavours.
- For a very light mousse, fresh on the palate. Italian meringue + pureed fruit/chocolate/flavouring pastes + gelatine sheets + half-whipped cream.
Fruit mousse. A light dessert that captures the essence of fruit with every spoonful, a light pleasure to enjoy guilt-free. To prepare a fresh fruit mousse you will need:
- Fruit to taste;
- Italian meringue (in the previous paragraphs we explain how to make it);
- 4 g of gelatine sheets
- 335 g of glossy cream
Blend the fruit of your choice and heat the resulting puree to 40°C. Gently fold the Italian meringue (taking care not to deflate it) into the fruit puree. Add, in a thin stream, the gelatine, previously heated to 45–50°C, and the glossy cream.
2. For a light and tasty mousse. pâte à bombe + assorted chocolate/nut flavouring pastes + gelatine sheets + half-whipped cream.
3. For a slightly creamy, tasty and structured mousse. crème anglaise + Italian meringue + pureed fruit/chocolate/flavouring pastes/liqueur + gelatine sheets + half-whipped cream.
4. For a creamy, soft and tasty mousse. pastry cream + Italian meringue + pureed fruit/chocolate/flavouring pastes/liqueur + gelatine sheets + half-whipped cream.
Rum mousse (or other spirits/liqueurs to taste). Rum mousse is a sophisticated, refined dessert. The enveloping warmth of the rum blends with the creaminess of the mousse, creating a tasting experience that invites relaxation and contemplation. To prepare a fresh rum mousse you will need:
- Cream (crème anglaise or pastry cream), or alternatively some dark chocolate;
- Italian meringue (in the previous paragraphs we explain how to make it);
- 4 g of gelatine sheets
- 335 g of glossy cream
- 30 ml of rum (or 200 g of almond paste)
Stir the cream and heat it to 35°C (or chop and melt the chocolate). Fold the Italian meringue into the cream, taking care not to deflate it. Add, in a thin stream, the gelatine, previously heated to 45–50°C, the rum and the glossy cream.
Mousse? Let's get to know it better!
The mousse, translated into Italian as schiuma or spuma, originated in 18th-century France thanks to Menon, one of the most admired French cooks of the time and author of the book La Science du Maître d'Hôtel cuisinier. The chocolate mousse, in particular, first appeared in 1755 under the name mousse de chocolat, in the cookbook Les soupers de la cour by the very same French cook Menon. The mousse soon became popular among the privileged classes, the only ones who owned an icebox, an essential item for preparing the spoon dessert. The spoon dessert became accessible to a wider public only when the refrigerator ceased to be a privilege of the few.
The mousse is not only a spoon dessert: it can also be used to fill and decorate cakes, even in its alcoholic version made with rum and chocolate. It can also be prepared with savoury ingredients, such as vegetables or cured meats, for an original and appetising aperitif.
The mousse, or foam, is made up mainly of four components:
- The base. It is the part that gives the mousse its characteristic frothy texture. Its average percentage is 25% and it usually consists of Italian meringue.
- The flavour. The sweet note of the mousse can be made up of blended fruit, chocolate, nut pastes (such as almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts), flavouring pastes (such as coffee, amaretto, nougat) or liqueurs. Its average percentage is 35%.
- The thickener. It is the ingredient that allows the consistency of the dessert to be adjusted so as to keep it soft and stable. Its average percentage is 1% and gelatine sheets are usually used at fairly low temperatures (35–40°C).
- The half-whipped (or glossy) cream. The cream is the ingredient that, together with the egg foam, introduces air into the mixture, giving the dessert its characteristic softness and lightness. Its average percentage is 40%.
Now all that is left is for you to surprise your guests at the end of the meal with a chocolate mousse, or delight them with an alternative and refined aperitif based on savoury mousses!
Blog by Enrico Gumirato, pastry chef and trainer
