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Spotted in France 

Chocolate mousse

This is a very simple recipe with just three ingredients and tastes just like the chocolate mousse I remember from French restaurants I visited as a child.

This makes eight portions so you will need eight ramekins. 

Ingredients

• 220g dark chocolate - if you don't like dark chocolate then substitute all or part with milk chocolate
• 140g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs, separated

Method

Melt the butter and chocolate in a bain marie (bowl resting on a saucepan of simmering water but without the water touching the bowl).  This is done more quickly if butter is cubed and chocolate broken into pieces.

Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring constantly.  If you want to add extra flavour, then do it now.  You could add a couple of tablespoons of rum, brandy or espresso coffee or maybe some orange zest.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Using a metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Keep folding until your boredom threshold is reached or preferably until it's beautifully combined into chocolate yumminess.

Spoon carefully into ramekins.  

You can freeze these in advance but they take so little time to prepare I'm not sure it's necessary.

Enjoy.

Lady luck

I don't believe in luck but if you asked me, I'd say I was lucky. 

 

Last week I messed up my diary for Thursday evening. I had arranged for Tesco to deliver groceries and, at the same time, I'd arranged for Ethan to have an assessment in Shenfield.

 

Dave was working in London so I didn't have a backup plan.

 

At 7 o'clock I put a note on the front door apologising for not being in and at 7:10 we got in the car to go to Shenfield. After dropping Ethan off I was told that I didn't have to stay while he was being assessed, so I decided to nip home. At home by 7:30, I sat in the car waiting.

 

At 7:35 Tesco turned up, we unloaded the groceries into the house and I was able to return to pick Ethan up just as he finished his assessment.

 

It could have been different and that's how I know I'm lucky.  Although I don't seem to win the lottery much...