Chocolate Mousse, Reinvented

I'd made chocolate mousse, several times, using three different recipes, hoping to find perfection. The results were less than stellar. The bittersweet chocolate taste was overwhelming; the mousse, too stiff. Some called for beaten egg whites for that final 'thickening ' step. Raw egg was to be avoided by the very young and old, too scary for me, anytime.

I began looking at the ingredients in chocolate mousse recipes, realizing changing their 'values' could bring about a better result, a less firm product, a more enjoyable one, too, perhaps. Intense chocolate flavour was not my goal. Eggs were increased as was the whole milk, with whipped cream added last, folded in, after the 'pudding' had cooled. A few recipes call for meringue to be added at the appropriate time yet meringue is simply another word for raw egg whites.

I have always loved chocolate mousse, its texture and taste were unsurpassed. Using organic ingredients made it a safe choice, anytime. (Women 's bodies need clean ingredients to function properly since additives, processed foods lead to fat storage in our bodies). I choose organic whipping cream and milk, the best there is. (Organic whipping cream beats quicker, remains firm, longer and tastes incredible) There was one very simple recipe I recall that asks for hot milk to be added to an egg yolk with chocolate pieces, in a mug, then stirred quickly to dissolve the chocolate and 'cook' the yolk. I hadn't tried it but at the time it seemed like such an easy solution to chocolate mousse. At least the hot milk helped to cook the yolk, somewhat.

The online world is awash with many versions of chocolate mousse. Choosing chocolate with less intense flavour, 70% cacao, perhaps, will lead to a milder flavoured mousse. Any recipe I use will always be under inspection since it will become a dessert eaten by me and family. A small quantity of sugar is added. Remember to use sugar sparingly. It is an ingredient, not a food group, in 'dessert'. Its role is simply to impart flavour and provide some structure whenever necessary. Two or three cups of this sweetener in any recipe is a disaster. Use much less unless the quantity of flour and eggs matches sugar in quantity. In mousse, sugar is only 2 tablespoons, or less.

The mousse recipe called for the cooking of the 'custard', using egg yolks and whole milk, over medium indirect heat until cooked (thickened). (Strong coffee is added as it amplifies the flavour of the chocolate). The pieces of chocolate are melted then added to the hot egg mixture, allowed to cool before the whipped cream is folded into the cooled mixture. Varying your strategies is possible as the ingredients are simple; the steps, so easy.

Altering the 'number' of any recipe gives rise to a new and improved one. I am forever making changes in recipes I use. Dates, observations and changes are noted. Food is always about health. Even a cake, cookie or pie should be made with that in mind. Changing the amounts of ingredients, or even eliminating some in favour of healthier alternatives is my goal. We have only one body. Ready made processed foods should be restricted as the additives, colour enhancers, preservatives and other insidious things added into them only serves to add to our health woes.

In homemade chocolate mousse, I have a clean dessert, containing fat, protein, minerals and vitamins (dairy) and a small amount of sugar. Could that be called lunch? Chocolate mousse with its heart healthy dark chocolate and organic dairy ingredients cater to my occasional dessert must have. A small serving is all it takes to satisfy my desire for something sweet and decadent. It is is free of the massive amounts of sugars and starches that seem to plague other desserts. Few store bought creations we buy, for that end of a meal treat, are devoid of excessive sugars.

One mouthful can doom a store bought dessert for me. I threw out a small chocolate cake, the other day, because it was simply too sweet with goopy icing too much to bear. Our bodies deserve better than that. Chocolate mousse is now my safe place to be.