Monday 15 July 2013

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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Spoon carefully into ramekins.  

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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...