Top | French Kids Eat Everything
(recipe, Karen Le Billon)
primary-image, l
Introduction
Mousse (whether lemon, chocolate, or any other kind) is amazingly quick to make. My French relatives need only about 5 minutes, but I've been generous with the time allowance here. The ratio of time spent to pleasure derived is probably the best of any dessert recipe I've encountered. There are as many recipes for mousse as there are members of the family. Use this recipe as your point of departure. There are lots of little innovations you can try: serve with a bit of whipped cream if you like, or adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste. But I like the minimalist version served below: dark and delicious. The French are not, by the way, as fearful of raw eggs as are North Americans. I still can't shake that slight paranoia, so I make sure to buy my eggs from a reliable source to avoid any chance of salmonella poisoning.
Ingredients
Steps
Note
Served in a big bowl, this makes a big impression. But it will be tidier and more elegant (and the mousse will likely remain more firm) if prepared and served in little individual bowls (plus, no fighting about who got more!). Culinate editor's notes: Since this recipe depends on the chocolate you use, buy the best-quality semisweet chocolate you can find, such as Scharffen Berger. If you don't have an orange on hand, just skip the zest; the mousse will taste great without it.