Long-time readers of NOH know how much I adore my Southern Living cookbooks, especially the Southern Living: 30 Years of Our Best Recipes cookbook. Every recipe I have ever tried from the cookbook has turned out fantastic, whether it was sweet & sour pork or chicken fried steak.
We’re all big fans of dessert in this house, and there are few things I love more than a rich, cream, delicious chocolate mousse. So when I realized that my favorite cookbook included a recipe for chocolate mousse, I knew I had to try it out.
That first trial was at least 4 years ago now — and since then, this chocolate mousse has become a favorite in our house. In fact, I’m due to make another batch of it again soon for Mackenzie who absolutely adores it.
The original recipe for chocolate mousse calls for Grand Marnier — and while I’m a big fan of that delicious orange-y drink, it’s not exactly kid-friendly. So recently, I started adding in homemade raspberry syrup to the mousse to give it a hint of flavor without the alcohol. With that simple change, the mousse taken on a completely different flavor that is super smooth with just a hint of berry flavor.
I’ve served this chocolate mousse both with and without berries on the side and I have to admit that most of the time, the mousse is plenty filling and rich on its own. If you make more than 8 portions from this recipe (say 10 or 12), you might want to add some fruit on the side just to make it more substantial. But most people just like to savor the chocolate in all its goodness. This one is definitely a chocolate lovers dream!
Don’t let the idea of mousse intimidate you. Most people seem to think it’s very hard to make. But with an electric mixer (either hand-held or something like a KitchenAid), this really isn’t all that difficult. You just need to make sure you watch your cream closely for soft peaks forming (which usually requires a speed of 4 on my KitchenAid for 5 or so minutes.) Once you achieve that, it’s all pretty simple from there. Just don’t stir the results too often or you’ll destroy all your whipping efforts. Instead scoop from the bottom and flip it over on top of the mix to combine everything.
Chocolate Mousse
Simple to make with an electric mixer and oh so delicious — nobody will believe it took only about 30 minutes.
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 4 ounces sweet baking chocolate
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other fruit liqueur/syrup
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine chocolate and liqueur in the top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil, then reduce to low and cook until the chocolate melts.
- Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (it will thicken and look grainy).
- Beat the cream at medium speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid with the whisk) until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar and beat to soft peaks.
- Fold about one-fourth of the whipped cream into the chocolate until completely mixed, then fold in the rest.
- Spoon into dishes and chill until serving.
- Serve with fresh berries or other fruit if desired.
