Chocolate-Orange Mousse
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
35 minutes, plus 12 hours steeping and 2 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 3 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 more tablespoons (chilled)3 strips orange zest, from 1 orange, each about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide)8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine2 tablespoons Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 4 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 2 large eggs, separated1 tablespoon granulated sugar ⅛ teaspoon table salt
Before You Begin
A handheld mixer can easily do the job of a standing mixer in this recipe, though mixing times may vary slightly. Garnish each serving of mousse with a thin strip of orange zest, if desired. This recipe contains raw or undercooked eggs, which comes with inherent risks. To learn more about food safety, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Bring heavy cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat and transfer to liquid measuring cup; add 3 strips of orange zest (each about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide). Cool until just warm, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove and discard zest; add more heavy cream, if necessary, to replace any evaporation loss.
- Melt chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and water in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier.
- Whisk egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in medium bowl until mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Let cool until slightly warmer than room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes.
- In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute. Detach whisk and bowl from mixer and whisk last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unbeaten whites from bottom of bowl. Using whisk, stir about one-quarter of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in remaining egg whites with rubber spatula until a few white streaks remain.
- Whip orange-flavored cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 15 seconds longer. Using rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Time
35 minutes, plus 12 hours steeping and 2 hours chillingYield
Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 3 1/2 cups)Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 more tablespoons (chilled)
3 strips orange zest, from 1 orange, each about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide)
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 more tablespoons (chilled)
3 strips orange zest, from 1 orange, each about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide)
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 more tablespoons (chilled)
3 strips orange zest, from 1 orange, each about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide)
8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a dark chocolate mousse recipe that would be balanced and light, we eliminated the butter and reduced the number of egg whites and yolks. We whipped the cream to soft peaks before adding it to the chocolate to make up for some of the lost volume caused by these reductions. To maximize the chocolate flavor in our mousse recipe, we used a combination of 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, ands added water to rescue our mousse from the weight of the chocolate and to restore its airy texture.
Before You Begin
A handheld mixer can easily do the job of a standing mixer in this recipe, though mixing times may vary slightly. Garnish each serving of mousse with a thin strip of orange zest, if desired. This recipe contains raw or undercooked eggs, which comes with inherent risks. To learn more about food safety, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Bring heavy cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat and transfer to liquid measuring cup; add 3 strips of orange zest (each about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide). Cool until just warm, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove and discard zest; add more heavy cream, if necessary, to replace any evaporation loss.
- Melt chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and water in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier.
- Whisk egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in medium bowl until mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Let cool until slightly warmer than room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes.
- In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute. Detach whisk and bowl from mixer and whisk last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unbeaten whites from bottom of bowl. Using whisk, stir about one-quarter of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in remaining egg whites with rubber spatula until a few white streaks remain.
- Whip orange-flavored cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 15 seconds longer. Using rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
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