Mousse Archives - Page 3 of 5

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse with Salted Caramel Sauce

10|02|2015

In the food department, for Valentine’s Day, I think we women are not that hard to please. Whether it is about pastel colored cupcakes, frosted cakes, good quality chocolate or a great dinner we appreciate the gestures and thoughts behind them as much as we enjoy the food. But I cannot be sure if the prettiest of swirls of buttercream or rose/lavender flavored goodies would impress men in general. While I personally love those flavors and swirls make me as excited as a kid, I’ve reserved those for my girlfriends. Dark chocolate and citrus are flavors that in my humble opinion have an unanimous appeal.

My husband does not share my love for dessert except when there is dark chocolate in the recipe. More specifically, a not too sweet, small portioned dessert with dark chocolate as the hero. I made just that for him. A rich, creamy, bittersweet chocolate mousse that is infused with Kahlua (coffee liqueur). Making this is quite easy and since it can be made ahead, it is a great option for Valentine’s day. What you will taste is an intense mocha flavor with a depth from the alcohol. But I didn’t stop at that. I made a quick salted caramel sauce and drizzled that on top. The combination is amazing! The salted caramel was not required but I recommend it. The bittersweet, salty and creamy sensation together is unbeatable. Needless to say, this is not your everyday sweet fix. It is special and should tick the right boxes even for non-dessert lovers.

If you do not have Kahlua, you can still add a teaspoon of instant coffee to get the mocha flavor but I highly recommend the liqueur as it elevates the intensity of the dessert to a whole new level.

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse With Salted Caramel Sauce
Serves 4-5

11/2 cups Heavy Cream)
4 Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Sugar
150 g Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons Kahlua (or any other coffee liqueur)
Cocoa Powder, to dust
Salted Caramel Sauce, to serve (recipe below)

Salted Caramel Sauce
50g butter
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 tsp sea salt

Whip up 1 cup of the heavy cream to stiff peaks and store in the refrigerator. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup in a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat. When the cream just comes to a boil, remove from heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and Kahlua together till light and creamy. Whisking constantly, gradually pour the warm cream into the egg yolks, 1 tbsp at a time. (We need to do this to ensure that we do not scramble the eggs with the heated cream). Return the egg-cream mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture under a medium-low flame, whisking constantly till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and strain it onto the bowl of chocolate. Let the bowl stand undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Stir to smoothen out the chocolate. Cool to room temperature.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled down completely add the whipped cream gradually & fold in till no white streaks appear. Pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate till set, about 4 hours or preferably overnight. Before serving, dust with cocoa powder, Drizzle with salted caramel.

To make the salted caramel sauce, combine butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add the salt.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Mousse

8|06|2014

When I think of posts for my blog, there are a few things that drive my decision. Amazingly enough , the driving factors have changed from the time I started out about a year ago. In the beginning, it was primarily recipes. Some favourites, some I had developed by simply playing with ingredients and many that were inspired by fresh produce, cookbooks, blogs I followed, trends and so on. Today, though recipes continue to form the crux of my inspiration, there are other aspects that come to play while I consider a post. Styling, colours, photography, individuality, what my readers, pinners and followers want from me. I find myself constantly experimenting and that is probably what makes blogging so exciting. A lot has changed but a few things haven’t. Some constants. Like Chocolate.

It is no secret how much this blog loves Chocolate. I can never be short on inspiration with Chocolate as a cooking ingredient. When I buy chocolate, I have a hundred ideas about why I need it. When I melt chocolate…another hundred recipes racing through my mind. Often I start with a single recipe and end up with two recipes. Then I photograph them in at least more than one way (like I’ve done here). There is something mesemerizing about Chocolate…the look, the feel, the intensity. I love photographing Chocolate desserts as much as I enjoying cooking them.

I have used my favourite mousse base for this recipe that uses egg yolks. I don’t think I have much to say about the taste. With Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline together in a dessert, there’s no doubt how indulgent this would be. The texture is intensely creamy with crunchy bits of praline within the mousse. Top them with cherries, berries or shaved chocolate and you have an impressive dessert in your hands.

Talking about Chocolate, I am delighted to connect with Chocolate lovers all over the world through Roxana’s lovely Chocolate Party where Chocolate is paired with different ingredients. This month Chocolate has been paired with Hazelnuts and if you are equally excited, do check out all the creations by other bloggers here.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Mousse
Serves 4

For the Praline:
100 g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
100 g castor sugar
1 tbsp. water

For the Dark Chocolate Mousse
½ Cup heavy cream
4 Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Sugar(or to taste)
3/4 Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Maraschino Cherries, to serve

For the Praline :Heat the sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan without stirring until it caramelises and turns a golden colour. Add the hazelnuts and pour the praline mixture onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Take care as the mixture is extremely hot.
Allow the praline to cool to room temperature. Using a rolling pin smash the praline into small pieces.

For the Chocolate Mousse: Heat the ½ cup cream over medium heat in a saucepan.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl till light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). When the cream reaches boiling point take it off the heat, add it to the egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly. This is done gradually so as to ensure that the eggs don’t scramble on pouring the hot cream. Return the egg-cream mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture under a medium-low flame, again whisking constantly till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The mixture will resemble a thick custard.

Place the dark chocolate in a bowl. Remove the custard from heat and pass it through a sieve into the bowl of chocolate. Let the mixture remain undisturbed for a while. Stir to smoothen out the chocolate. Cool to room temperature. While the custard is cooling, whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks. Store in the refrigerator till needed.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled down completely add it to the whipped cream little at a time & fold in till no white streaks appear. Gradually fold in the crushed praline. Pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate till set, about 4 hours or preferably overnight. Garnish with shaved chocolate or fresh fruits. Serve cold.

Ferrero Rocher Mousse Cake

23|03|2014

Ferrero Rocher cake with a biscuit base, a chocolate mousse filling, chopped ferrero rocher chocolates and chocolate ganache to finish.

Talking about blogger perspective, do you know what I love about Chocolate? That it is not seasonal. When you are a blogger you tend to keep track of what is seasonal, what your readers come to you for, what is trending on Pinterest and so on. Basically the bottom line is that I am completely in denial of the fact that we have left summer behind.

When I walk into the fruit market I am not too happy with the sight of berries, plums, peaches and nectarines being replaced with Persimmons, Guavas and Pomegranates. I like them too but nothing like berries and stone fruits. In fact the last of the summer fruits are still available but naturally at a higher price. So till I begin to take interest in autumnal produce I am finding comfort in the safe and faithful hands of chocolate. If you are on the other side of the world, I know you are smiling as you read this…in anticipation of what lies ahead of you (the glory of spring and summer) in the forthcoming months. Lucky you! But you are certainly not deserting me because I have a few summery recipes reserved for you in my folders. See what I mean by blogger perspective!

Back to the cake, it is an easy eggless cake to put together. Chocolate, cream and the star in the recipe. The base is a plain chocolate cookie crust. The swirls as you can see are dark chocolate ganache topped with a Ferrero Rocher. There are crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates inside the mousse which is the only difficulty I had to deal with. I filled up a plastic bag with the chocolates and smashed them with a rolling-pin. The teeny bit of liquid chocolate inside the candies made it sticky inside the plastic bag and I had to do a few folds with the mouse mixture to distribute them. Which spoiled the textural element I was after (look wise). But the taste is yet amazing with crunchy bits of Ferrero Rocher hiding within creamy chocolate mousse. It is a rich cake so small portions are good enough.

I wanted a taller cake so I used a 19 cm springform pan. A larger pan can be used but the resulting cake will be lower in height.

Ferrero Rocher Mousse Cake
Serves 10-12

For the Mousse Cake
220g plain chocolate cookies
75g butter, melted
3 teaspoons gelatine powder
600 ml thickened or heavy cream
300 g dark chocolate
100 g milk chocolate
10 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, crushed in a plastic bag with a rolling-pin
6 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, to decorate
cocoa, to dust

For the whipped chocolate Ganache
150 g dark chocolate
1/2 cup thickened or heavy cream

Grease a 19 cm round Springform pan. Line the base and sides with baking paper. Place the cookies in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Using your fingertips, press biscuit mixture over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Place both the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted then cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, bring 1/4 cup cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Soak gelatine in 2 tbsp. cold water for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add to hot cream and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, whisk remaining cream to stiff peaks. Working quickly, add chocolate and gelatine mixture to cream and whisk for 1-2 seconds or until chocolate is 1/2 incorporated. Using a spatula, gently finish folding in. Add the crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates and gradually fold into the mousse.

Spoon over the base of the cookie mixture. Smooth out the surface with a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Lightly dust with cocoa powder. Fill up a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe ganache around the cake. Top with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates.

To make the whipped ganache: Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool completely and whip to a stiff consistency.

Pretty In Pink. White Chocolate Cherry Mud Cake, Lemon Mousse, Pink Popcorn Glass

29|11|2013

It has been a while since I made a proper dessert. I mean.. like something different…not the usual. Delicate, multi layered, different elements, fancy garnishes. You know the kind.. when you look at the dessert, you immediately want to take out your mobile phone a snap a picture. The one that makes you hesitate a little bit because you think it’s too pretty to eat.

Yes, I am talking about the reactions to this one when I brought this to the table for my guests.

I have taken to pink lately (you know, right?). So it was a choice between raspberry, strawberry or a cherry based dessert. I chose the last one as I had a jar of maraschino cherries so if you want to make this you don’t have wait till berry or cherry season.

When I make such desserts with the cake as a base, I prefer a dacquoise or a mud cake. If mud cake is new to you, it’s a dense, slightly heavy cake that doesn’t crumb easily and is incredibly easy to make. We get chocolate and caramel versions everywhere in Australia. I made adjustments to my dark chocolate mud cake recipe by replacing it with white chocolate and the cherry syrup inside the jar. For the lemon mousse, I’ve added a little extra gelatine to my usual mousse recipe so it would hold together while piping.

The popcorn glass is a variation to a praline or a brittle. Instead of nuts, I’ve used crushed pink popcorn (store-bought). For me, the garnish is of utmost importance as that is what gives a dessert the ‘wow’ factor. If you are making this, try to use a mix of white and pink. It looks pretty that way.

By no means is this a light dessert. It is rich but oh so delicious! Sweet fudgy cherry cake, tangy creamy lemon mousse, crunchy bits of toffee and juicy plump maraschino cherries.

I haven’t been able to find a suitable name for this one. Any suggestions?
Also if you like this, you may want to check out this chocolate dessert and this duo.

White Chocolate Cherry Mud Cake, Lemon Mousse, Pink Popcorn Glass
Makes 6

White Chocolate Cherry Mud Cake

125 g butter, roughly chopped
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup cherry syrup (from the jar)
1 cup plain flour
1 tbsp self-raising flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 medium eggs, lightly whisked
3-4 drops pink food colouring

Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Brush a 7 inch square or round cake pan with melted butter. Line the bases and sides with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the butter, chocolate, sugar, water and cherry syrup in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in combined flour. Stir in buttermilk and egg. Add the pink food colouring and mix till uniformly coloured. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, cut into rectangles of 3 by 1.5 inch and keep aside.

Lemon Mousse
(this will make a lot of mousse. The recipe can either be halved or served as a dessert on its own)

1 cup lemon curd (store-bought or home-made, recipe here)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp powdered gelatine
1 tbsp water

In a small bowl mix the gelatine and water and set aside for 5 minutes for the gelatine to bloom. Either in the microwave or using the double boiler method, gently heat the mixture so that the gelatine dissolves completely. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk the whipping cream and sugar till you reach soft peaks. Fold in the lemon curd gradually. Add the gelatine mixture and fold through. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Pink Popcorn Glass

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup pink popcorn, crushed

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Spread the popcorn over the tray.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, occasionally brushing down side of the pan with a wet pastry brush, for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Pour toffee evenly over the popcorn in the baking tray. Set aside for 10 minutes to set. Break into shards.

To serve : Fill up a piping bag with the lemon mousse and pipe swirls on a mud cake base. Repeat with the remaining bases. Top with Maraschino Cherries and popcorn glass.