Recipe: Valrhona Chocolate Mousse
I’ve made this chocolate mousse recipe by Laura Vitale many times over the years, but this quarantine attempt was an absolute game-changer.
To take Laura’s chocolate mousse recipe up a notch, I replaced the ordinary bittersweet chocolate in the original recipe with 70% Guanaja Dark Chocolate by Valrhona. The result was phenomenal, as I had expected.
Valrhona focuses mainly on high-grade luxury chocolate marketed for commercial use. You can purchase smaller quantities for private consumption from this website: Chef ME At Home .
Valrhona Chocolate Mousse
- 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate (I used Valrhona 70% Guanaja Dark Chocolate)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used President Whipping Cream 35.1%)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
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In a bowl, whisk the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. Set in the fridge while you work on the rest of the recipe.
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In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until it becomes thick and pale in color and the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
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In a small saucepan, add an inch of water and bring it to a simmer. Place a small bowl over the saucepan and add the chocolate, water, espresso, and butter over very low heat. Cook everything together just until the chocolate melts.
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Spoon ¼ of the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture and mix it just enough to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the small bowl over the simmering water in the saucepan with the remaining chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla extract and stir constantly. Cook over low heat for a couple minutes or until the mixture thickens. Let it cool for a few minutes stirring frequently.
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In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the egg white in the cooled chocolate mixture.
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Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped heavy cream being careful not to over mix otherwise, the heavy cream will lose its texture.
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Pour the mixture into cups and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours.
