Hello hello! Are you ready for 2021?

Hell yeah! To be honest, I’m really looking forward to 2021. I’m in the minority when I say I don’t think 2020 was a total shit-show. It wasn’t a great year, I agree. But like they say, it is in adversity that we find strength. So I guess we can all put 2020 behind us, and use that new found strength to build something great in 2021! Are you with me? Let’s do this gang!

And of course the first recipe of this new year involves chocolate! I mean, is there even any other way to begin? Not in my book. So today we are exploring the lands of chocolate mousse. I know, it’s not something new and exciting but it is a classic for a reason- it is bloody delicious! A good chocolate mousse is one of the most satisfying desserts in my opinion. There are all kinds of different opinions about how your chocolate mousse should be. Personally, I like mine rich yet light, and just a splash of booze in it is always a great idea. And this particular recipe ticks all those boxes. It is rich, decadent, extremely satisfying & even orgasmic (children, look away!) but so incredibly light, all at the same time. Have I lost you? Not yet? Cool, we can be friends ;).

This is a pretty straight forward recipe. It’s super simple, comes together in a jiffy and pretty hard to mess up really. Whiskey and chocolate pair so well together so you know it’s going to be one hell of a treat. The addition of whiskey adds a really nice depth of flavour. There is a slight pleasant kick at the end of the bite that makes it so exciting. The lightness in the mousse comes from our meringue. A meringue is basically egg whites whipped together with some sugar to form a super light and airy mixture. This makes the chocolate mousse really nice and light to eat. There is plenty of chocolatey goodness to keep you satisfied yet you’re not overly full and feel sick to the stomach. You feel me?

Make this a day or two in advance if you’re going to be serving this at a dinner party. You can also make it into a one large portion as compared to individual portions or sharing purposes. The flavour develops over time so I highly recommend resting it overnight. However, if you are pressed for time, 4 hours is just enough time as well. Add a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate savings, and you’ve got yourself one stunner of a dessert! I hope you give this a try and enjoy it. A super easy recipe to make for all those times when you’re just craving something chocolatey and decadent and comforting. Happy baking! xx

Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 140g good quality dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids)

• 95g unsalted butter

• 50g espresso ~ 2 shots

• 25g whiskey

• 3 eggs, separated

• 40g castor sugar

• big pinch of salt

Method

• Melt chocolate and butter together over a double boiler until completely melted. Cool slightly.

• Add the espresso and whiskey to the chocolate-butter mix and whisk well.

• Add the egg yolks and salt to the chocolate mix and whisk until well emulsified. Keep aside.

• Using a hand beater or a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy. While still whisking, gradually add the sugar. Whisk until the meringue is at medium-stiff peaks and almost quadrupled in volume.

• Add a small part of the meringue to the chocolate-yolk mix and whisk to temper the mousse. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the chocolate-yolk mix, careful to not over-mix and deflate the mousse.

• Pour the mousse into ramekin/glasses and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top. Set in the fridge for minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight.

• Serve with some freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Bon appetite!

Notes:

• It is important to use 70% dark chocolate for the recipe for better flavour and texture. A lesser dark chocolate will not set as firm and will be runnier than desired.

In other news….

Thinking about starting your sourdough journey and don’t know where to start? Wanna do it together? Check out my latest sourdough guide where I take you through each and every step of the sourdough baking process and tell you everything you need to know to kickstart your sourdough journey. Sounds something you’d enjoy?

If you enjoyed that and tried it at home, please tag me at @myyummyspatula on Instagram so that I can see all your bakes! For more BTS stories, updates and fun, you can follow along here: