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ffwd: top-secret chocolate mousse
I doubt this is the first time I’ve made this confession on my blog. I am not a chocoholic. I like, but am nowhere close to loving, chocolate. For French Fridays with Dorie, this week’s recipe was Top-Secret Chocolate Mousse. This was bound to make Howard, the resident chocolate fiend, happy. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever made mousse before, or at least not in many years, so I welcomed a new challenge.
What’s top secret about this recipe? According to Dorie, every French home cook knows this recipe from the back of the chocolate package. The recipe is hiding in plain view. Sort of like home-baked Toll House cookies in the U.S., maybe?
This recipe couldn’t have been easier, so no wonder it’s a go-to recipe in French homes. You melt the chocolate, you whisk in egg yolks, you beat egg whites with a tiny bit of sugar, and you fold that into the chocolate. Voila! A 4-ounce chocolate bar is just the amount for the recipe plus one square leftover to grate on top plus have a mini-snack. And, because we get super-fresh eggs from a neighbor down the street, the barely warmed eggs didn’t concern me.
I took Dorie’s tip and served the mousse in (stemless) martini glasses. As promised, they looked cute.
The recipe got the Howard seal of approval. I liked that the mousse was light and not overly chocolate-y. I opted for 62% dark chocolate, but I think it could have handled the 70% dark bar that I left on the shelf. Next time. This would be a great dessert to whip up for company. Not too much effort, but elegant taste that anyone would enjoy.
I’m looking forward to next week’s goat cheese mini puffs, much more up my alley.
We don’t post the recipes, but consider getting your own copy of the book, Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table. I’m off to enjoy a weekend on Cape Cod with college friends, so won’t get a chance to catch up on the other Dorista’s posts until after the weekend. If you want to check them out, follow their links here to read all about it.
Happy Friday!
Cinco de Mayo Derby Day
Saturday was a double food holiday. Obviously, it was Cinco de Mayo, but, this year, May 5th also fell on the first Saturday of May, Kentucky Derby Day.
I always serve up margaritas and some Mexican fare on the day. This year, I made a simple sauté of shrimp in a tomatillo sauce to serve over rice.
The piece de resistance was the Kentucky Derby portion of the meal: dessert. A couple of years ago, I unsuccessfully tried making Mint Juleps. They were probably fine, but the unsuccessful part was that neither of us cared for them at all. They were much too strong and alcoholic for us. I think that mint juleps are probably an acquired taste.
For a backup plan, in my recipe box was a recipe for Kentucky Derby Pie from my friend Lauren. This pie resembles a chocolate chip cookie with some bourbon mixed in for good measure baked in a pastry crust. I didn’t feel like making pastry crust so I tried this in a graham cracker crust instead. I loved the way it came out. The buttery crust melded with the buttery filling, and the result was sweet confection. Derby pie was the perfect way to round out the eventful day. I’ll Have Another won the race, and I’ll have another slice of pie, please!
Lauren’s Kentucky Derby Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie
Graham Cracker Crust:
1¼ cup graham cracker crumbs, about 9 crackers (I use the low-fat crackers)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the crumbs and sugar in a small bowl. Add the melted butter, and stir together with a fork until it is mixed well.
Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes.
Derby Pie Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup flour
1 egg
2 Tbsp bourbon
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Blend sugars and butter (I used the KitchenAid) until mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour filling into pie pan with baked graham cracker crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 20 minutes, until surface of the pie is lightly browned.
A Plateful of Happiness 