Chocolate Mousse (the best)

I have been making this chocolate mousse recipe for years, it is my dad's favorite!

It has a custard base, and sets with Gelatine. Whenever you make custard you always have egg whites left over and it is the perfect time to make meringue. I paired them together along with some strawberries and the crispiness of the meringue really complimented the silky mousse.

My biggest tip would be, use the best chocolate you can find! It really makes a difference.

Total Time:

• Prep time 20 mins

• Chilling time 2 hrs

• Total time 2 hrs 20 mins

• If making meringue, it takes 15 min prep time and 1 hr in the oven

Equipment:

• Piping bag fitted with round nozzle for meringue

• medium sized ice cream scoop

• serving dish

Ingredients:

Custard

• 100 g heavy cream

• 300 g whole milk

• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 6 egg yolks

• 4tsp powdered Gelatine

• 375 g good quality dark chocolate 70 % such as Valrhona

• 473 ml heavy whipping cream

• 8 -10 strawberries for decoration

Meringue

• 120 g egg whites

• 240 g caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

• Start with the custard. Heat the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla.

• Beat the egg yolks and temper them. Add some of the hot milk to the eggs mix and pour into the rest of the milk.

• keep stirring at low heat, until it thickens a bit and starts to coat the back of a wooden spoon

• strain the custard and set aside to cool

• melt your chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler

• prepare the gelatine, stir in some cold water gradually till its like a runny paste, put the cup of gelatine in another bowl of very hot water so that the gelatine can dissolve and it will become clear

• whip the cream till soft peaks form

• add the melted chocolate to the cooled custard stir and then mix in the gelatine

• gradually fold in the whipped cream

• pour in a dish and let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours

• for the meringue, beat the egg whites , gradually add the caster sugar till stiff and glossy, add vanilla

• put in piping bag fitted with a round nozzle

• on a baking tray with parchment paper pipe flowers

• bake at 250 F for 10 mins, lower the oven to 215 F and bake for 50 mins, let cool in the oven and they are done

• dip an ice cream scoop in hot water scoop mousse on to the meringue

• slice strawberries and decorate.

Enjoy!

Some helpful tips:

• stir the custard constantly once the eggs are in and on low heat

• let the custard cool a bit before you add the melted chocolate

• gradually fold in the cream so you do not loose all that precious air