Posted on Thursday, 27th May 2010 by Grace
Chocolate Mousse is my comfort food and I needed a little comfort food today!
May used to be my most favourite month of the year, full of celebrations. My birthday, my husband and I met in May, got engaged in May and we married in May and of course Mother’s day. That all changed 6 years ago, yesterday was the anniversary of my husband’s passing. It’s the time of year I have come to dread. It’s so difficult for the kids and I find we all have so many emotions but we tend to keep them to ourselves and we just all try to make it through the day.
Liana mentioned in the morning she was going to have a few friends over to go swimming and they were going to have a simple barbecue of burgers and sausages. It wasn’t the easiest day for me and I wasn’t really motivated to do too much of anything but I thought it would be nice to make a little treat for the kids.
One of the recipes I turn to for times just like this is Gordon Ramsay’s Four-Minute Chocolate Mousse. It literally takes minutes to make and the taste is absolutely amazing. It is so creamy, light and full of chocolatey goodness.
I used Frangelico (Italian Hazelnut Liqueur) instead of the amaretto this time because I knew it would pair up nicely with the hazelnut biscotti I had on hand. I crushed them lightly with my rolling pin and sprinkled the biscotti on the mousse. The biscotti provided just the right amount of crunch to the silky texture of the mousse.
Believe it or not, the mousse went untouched. Matt and Liana are so close in age and for that reason they have quite a few mutual friends. We’ve lived in the same neighbourhood for years and most of the kids grew up together. Before we knew it the backyard was crawling with friends. It filled my heart knowing that all these kids knew how hard the day was going to be for Liana and Matt and they all came to support them. It was great to hear them laughing, singing and to watch them dancing and being silly. For just a little while they were able to escape the reality of the day.
Well, the mousse may have gone uneaten yesterday but today was a different story. It didn’t take long for the desserts to go missing one by one.
Gordon Ramsay’s Four-Minute Chocolate Mousse
- 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 300 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp Amaretto or other liqueur (optional)
- 1 large egg white
- 50 g caster sugar
- handful of amaretti biscuits, to garnish
- white or dark chocolate shavings, to garnish
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat half of the cream until it begins to boil. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl set over a large bowl of iced water and add the rest of the cream and Amaretto, if using. Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the mixture to soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the iced water.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg white with a handheld electric beater until stiff peak. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue whisking to a soft meringue. Carefully fold the meringue through the chocolate mixture, then spoon or pipe into chilled serving glasses.
- Place the amaretti into a bowl and lightly crush with the tip of a rolling pin. Sprinkle over the chocolate mousse and garnish with chocolate shavings, if you like. Serve immediately or chill for up to two days.
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Tags: after school treat, chocolate, chocolate dessert, chocolate mousse, dessert, desserts, desserts for entertaining, food, food photography, food photos, Gordon Ramsay recipes, individual dessert, individual desserts, mini desserts, mousse recipes, pudding, quick desserts
Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Custards, Creams & Mousses, Eggs, Fillings, Frostings & Dessert Sauces, Recipes
Comments (10)
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May 28th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Condolences about your husband. Even though it’s been three years now that my parents passed away, I still mark both their birthdays and the days they died. I’m glad you got to spend the day with friends who surrounded you with good cheer and laughter. It’s a reminder that life goes on, even through our painful losses.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Thank you Carolyn, sorry for your loss as well. I don’t know what I would do without family and friends, they’ve all been so amazing.
May 28th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Hi Grace,
I randomly clicked on your picture of the mousse recipe and I wasn’t quite expecting to tear up over reading about your husband.
I’m very sorry for your loss and thank goodness for our children. Hopefully with time, the pain will be less and you can just hang onto the good memories of your husband.
Take care. xo
May 28th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Thank you, they keep me going each and every day!
May 28th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Saw the picture on TS and headed right over. My heart broke when I heard your story, but am happy that you cope so well. An evocative post, and a gorgeous mousse! Take care Grace!
May 28th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Thank you so much Deeba
May 31st, 2010 at 10:40 am
I’m so sorry for your loss and glad to see that you and your kids have such supportive friends. That really means a lot. Take care!
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 am
My condolences Grace. I’m sorry there aren’t better words to convey this kind of thing. I have my husband but I lost my Dad when I was 17, and my father in law in my 20s. Their presence is missed, much like your husband’s is. There will be brighter days.
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 am
Thank you Eerica, I am very sorry for your losses as well. Losing your Dad at such a young age, I see how hard it is for my kids, my heart goes out to you. All the best Erica.
July 14th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
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