Many, Many Mousse

We all learned in elementary school that, to our utter dismay (or amazement as the case may be), that the plural of

Moose

 does not follow any normal English rules and is, well the same thing. . . .

Moose

Thus by the same infallible logic, the plural of

Mousse

Should most assuredly be:

Mousse

I'm here to explore this phenomenon in all its creamy chocolatey forms.

After having these new miniature glasses stare me down for the past week as they sat on my kitchen counter, I decided it was time to photograph them, which meant I had to actually put something in them. Mousse is a new one for me, as in the past I have just used the pre-made mixes at the stores because I am lazy and they work so simply. This laziness set in and for years I thought this was great mousse.

This is one of those times when ignorance was bliss, but knowledge is even more blissful. Homemade mousse turned out to be more rich, creamy and delicious than I had ever anticipated, making the store stuff completely obsolete.

Best of all, it was incredibly easy! It only took a few minutes to make the chocolate mixture and then a few mindless minutes whipping up lots of cream. My kitchen-aid mixer sadly had to be left at home when I came to MA for the summer. So, to the utter dismay of everyone around, I used my new hand mixer that somehow manages to make more noise than any other kitchen appliance I've ever used.

It's basically like

                          




                     +






So for all you intimidated bakers/chefs/hungry college students out there, grab a bag of chocolate chips and some whipping cream and get going. If you don't have a mixer, they're maybe 7 dollars at a grocery store, and its definitely worth it. You can probably double its uses and train your pets while you're cooking.

 Chocolate Mousse

• 1 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup water divided
• 2 Tbsp butter (this is a must, no substituting)
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 pint whipping cream (or heavy cream)
• fruit for garnish, optional

1. In a microwave safe bowl, place the chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of the water, and 2 tbsp of butter.  Microwave on high for 20 seconds and then stir.  Then microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring after each one,  until the mixture is well blended and melted. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of water, egg yolks, and sugar. Cook over low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 1-2 minutes for those of us without thermometers handy. 
3.  The motto for this next part is to Just Keep Whisking. Otherwise, you might end up with scrambled eggs, and that is pretty gross. Remove the saucepan from heat and (while still whisking) pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Whisk until well combined and let cool for 30 minutes. Give it a stir about every 5 minutes or so while it cools.
4. While the chocolate cools, whip the whipping cream until firm peaks form. I didn't actually have whipping cream on hand, I just had a pint of heavy cream, but it works just fine.
5. Once the chocolate mixture is cooled, add 1/3 of it to the whipped cream and gently fold it in. Continue this until all the chocolate has been added. Do not overwork the mousse as it begins to become too liquidy.
6. Spoon or pipe the mousse into desired dishes or cups and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I left mine overnight and served them for dessert the next day. 

The number of servings is probably about 6-8, but it depends on your dishes. I used the tiny glasses, several ramekins, and even filled my Max Brenner Hug Mug.

Had to get creative for the glasses too small for spoons

 

Best Hug Ever.