When my sister and I were little, my mom had a catering business (Zisa’s Catering RIP), which no longer exists but is forever memorialized in logo aprons we all still have. She ran this little operation out of our basement, which was not exactly finished but did contain a second kitchen, and from this subterranean headquarters she churned out many delicacies, the most regionally famous of which was her chocolate mousse cake. Many of my fondest childhood memories center around eating crushed chocolate cookies (used for the crust) and licking chocolate mousse streaks out of bowls (or off beaters- my sister and I always each got one). You could say I’ve always had chocolate mousse running through my veins.
So I like mousse a lot, but it’s not something I make very often. I’m not sure why, but probably because it’s not quite as fun or satisfying as baking (see my previous laments). But when you aren’t allowed to chew, mousse really comes through in a pinch- after putting together several puddings (also love those), I turned to David Lebovitz’s salted caramel-chocolate mousse for something a little different. I was immediately taken by the picture in the book (it really just makes you want to lick the page) and the single-sentence description of the recipe (that it needs no introduction) was enough to propel me into the kitchen to start separating some eggs.
All I can really say is: WHOA. Also: THIS MOUSSE IS FABULOUS. I will also say this. Making caramel is a tiny bit annoying (but honestly only a tiny bit) but it is such a game changer in a chocolate mousse. The end result doesn’t exactly taste like caramel, it just tastes incredibly rich (like your average chocolate mousse) but with much more flavor. It’s just not as one-note as a dark chocolate mousse, which is sometimes so rich it’s too much. I am 100% obsessed with this recipe and I already know it’s going to be something I make again and again.
I ended up also adding some flakes of Maldon salt on the tops of the finished mousses, which I think brings out the caramel a little more and cuts that richness by just the right amount. It also looks crystalline and gorgeous. It’s almost enough – ALMOST – to make me forget how much I miss sinking my teeth into a pastry…
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
- 6 oz. (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 large eggs, separated
- Rounded 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Spread the sugar evenly over the bottom of a wide saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium heat. As it begins to liquefy at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently drag the liquefied sugar toward the center. Watch carefully, as once the edges start to darken, the sugar is in danger of burning. Continue to cook, stirring very gently, untli all the sugar is melted and begins to caramelize.
- When the caramel is a deep amber color and starts to smoke, wait a moment for it to smell just slightly burnt, then remove it from the heat and quickly whisk in the butter, stirring until melted. (The caramel will try to seize, so make sure you're ready to whisk vigorously.) Gradually whisk in the cream and stir until the little bits of caramel are completely melted. (A few can be stubborn, so be patient. You can strain the mixture if they simply refuse to budge.)
- Once smooth, add the chocolate, stirring gently until it's melted and smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Once it's no longer warm, whisk in the egg yolks.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold one-third of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, sprinkling in the flaky salt. Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites just until no streaks of white remain. Divide the mousse into serving glasses, or transfer it to a decorative serving bowl, and chill for at least 8 hours. Sprinkle each glass with some flaky sea salt before serving.
Notes
From My Paris Kitchen
