Chocolate Mousse

Jun23

Probably I’ve expressed gratitude for chocolate before. Why wouldn’t I have? Today I’m grateful for chocolate mousse, in particular in these no-bake ‘bars.’ I made them last night for Boyz Lunch today, and they were quite well received. Some graham crackers, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt for the ‘crust,’ so to speak, and a essentially a bunch of whipping cream and chocolate chips for the mousse, with a splash of vanilla and some espresso powder. Heavenly. I’m grateful that chocolate is still readily available, that for the time being, this luxury bean is still able to be cultivated in warmer, wetter parts of the world, and transported far from its native climes. I don’t expect this will always be the case.

I was also grateful for a cool, cloudy day, or they’d have been even messier to eat than they were. We finished lunch just in time before the predicted deluge, which dumped about a fraction of a tenth of an inch of rain over a few minutes before moving on. We are all grateful for even a splash of rain at this point, and the humidity got up to a whopping 49% while the sun shone, for awhile. In a remarkable turn of events, at bedtime the temperature is two points away from the humidity, at 58º and 56% respectively. The remaining mousse bars are safely stored in the fridge and the freezer for later, and much later. I’m grateful for a fridge and freezer, and the solar electricity to power them.

I’m grateful to crawl into a cozy bed after a day of natural beauty and fellowship in this peaceful little pocket of the planet, on this one precious day that will never come again.

2 thoughts on “Chocolate Mousse”

  1. Those mousse bars look amazing! Do you have a recipe you could share? Grateful for your blog which is a lovely reminder that there is always much to be grateful for.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Sandra. I included the link to the NYT recipe, but I know not everyone can access it. Here it is:

      No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Bars By Samantha Seneviratne https://cooking.nytimes.com/search?q=Samantha+Seneviratne&action=click&module=byline&region=recipe%20page May 10, 2018

      Time 30 minutes, plus chilling Rating 4

      Ingredients Yield: 24 servings For the Crust

      18 whole graham crackers (about 9½ ounces/269 grams) 8 tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt For the Filling 1 pound/454 grams semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

      Whipped cream (optional) Preparation

      Step 1 Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2¼ cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling. 

Step 2 Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.     Step 3 In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

      Rita Clagett Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher Mirador Eco-Retreat https://dukkaqueen.wixsite.com/mirador-eco-retreat

      “My experience is what I agree to attend to.” ~ William James

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