Chocolate
Mousse
Julia Child
"Find
something you're passionate about and
keep
tremendously interested in it."
One
can be passionate about many things – cooking was
definitely a passion of Julia
Child –
This
week I will be making Julia Child’s
Chocolate
Mousse.
 |
| this recipe gave me opportunity to use my Artisanal Chocolate I shared with you here. |
Making
and then tasting this superb dessert is an experience.
Today,
I read through the recipe several times, set out all my ingredients and the
equipment necessary to concoct this satiny dessert.
This
dessert is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of beating of the
ingredients in the process. This elevates the Mousse to a level far above your
custard or your pudding.
Incorporating
beautiful air bubbles into the mousse at each stage produces a very silky,
decadent dessert.
And
don’t forget – it’s chocolate.
I
imagined as I followed each step the heroic measures taken by Julia and French
chefs to beat the egg yolks and sugar, then the chocolate, coffee and butter
and finally the egg whites and sugar into creamy submission. To accomplish this
dessert without the aid of electric mixers and/or hand mixers (I used both!)
would have been quite a work out.
But,
then you come to the conclusion resulting in a fine, satiny mousse ready to be
put into beautiful dessert dishes – to be gloriously displayed.
You
need the chilling time, to devise a wonderful dinner, clean the sink full of
dishes, to prepare your self for an elegant meal.
Going
through the process of making a Chocolate Mousse – Julia’s Chocolate Mousse -
causes one to desire to make the meal an event!
To
get you prepared here are the
ingredients and equipment necessary to make
A
3-quart porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl
A
wire whip or electric beater
4 egg
yolks
¾
cups instant sugar (very finely granulated)
¼ cup
orange liqueur
a pan
of not-quite-simmering water
a
basin of cold water
*beat
the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls
back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange
liqueur. Then set the mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water and
continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for
your finger. Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is
cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.
6
ounces or squares semi sweet baking chocolate
4 tb
strong coffee
a
small saucepan
6
ounces or 1 ½ sticks softenend unsalted butter
melt
chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter a
bit at a time, to make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks
and sugar, then beat in the optional orange peel (1/4 cup finely diced glazed
orange peel)
4 egg
whites
pinch
of salt
1 Tb
granulated sugar
beat
the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and
beat unti stiff peaks are formed. Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the
chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest.
------
turn
into serving dish, dessert cups or petite pots. Refrigerate for at least 2
hours or overnight.
You will
feel quite accomplished and admire Julia and the French all the more!
