June 3rd
2005
I haven't had white mousse au chocolat for a while. Actually for way too long. Perhaps I'm the only person who prefers white over brown mousse au chocolate, at least no one I know sees it my way. It has probably to do with nostalgic feelings. The first time I tried white mousse au chocolat, it was part of an dessert composition, one, that truly deserved its classification. Growing up on the countryside of Bavaria meant growing up with a plethora of different cakes as dessert (Schwarzwälder Kirsch, apple tarts, and - in lack of a proper translation - Buchteln, Kirchweihkuchen, Kücheln). Way back, if you had visited a restaurant with your parents, you could choose from the usual suspects, namely vanilla ice cream with hot raspberries or mixed ice cream - that was pretty much it. Until we spent an evening at a cozy little Spanish place called "Casa Andalusia".
Back then, the first thing that struck me was the fact, that the menu contained more than two types of dessert. Secondly, I really had no clue what I was looking at - I haven't had any of those desserts on the menu before. My choice, however, was quickly made. Some sort of soaked coconut-biscuit (I'm a sucker for anything with coconut) arranged with brown and white mousse au chocolat and a variation of red berries. It was dessert heaven for an exited 12 year-old! Casa Andalusia sparked my love for desserts ever since... And especially for white mousse au chocolat!
I've tried different recipes over the past years, but wasn't completely satisfied with the results. So when I came across Trish Deseine's recipe (from the book "Verrückt nach Schokolade"/"I want chocolate!)", I marked it with a post-it (a pink one, for Melissa...), but had forgotten about it. Just recently in search of a quick dessert, I stumbled over it again, this time taking the recipe under closer examination. Just two ingredients? No folding in of something "airy"? Hmm sounds almost too easy, well then...
Heat up the 100 ml cream, pour over the white chocolate (broken into pieces). Let the mixture dissolve over a bain-marie, blend well and chill the result for some hours (the original recipe says at least four hours). The original recipe proceeds with something like: Whip it again and serve. What? How is it supposed to get airy and light? The results was strange, good taste (quite sweet), but gooey. I have no idea, why this recipe is filed under the name "mousse"!?
Always trust your instincts - at least if you are a woman ;) I whipped an additional 100 ml of heavy cream and carefully folded it under the chilled chocolate-cream mixture. Chilled it again for some hours. The result was much better, very light and smooth with a wonderful taste, although it didn't have the well-known mousse-texture with those tiny little air bubbles inside. I added some passion fruit, which turned out to be a perfect combination.
So I'm still on the search for the perfect white chocolate mousse recipe, though this one was great - taste wise and because of the passion fruit twist.
White Mousse Au Chocolat
Recipe source: Trish Deseine "Verrückt nach Schokolade", p.20, adapted
Required time: prep. 15 min., chilling ~6 hours
.
Ingredients (serves 4):
200g white chocolate (high quality)
100g heavy cream
100g heavy cream, whipped
Hi!
Well there's nothing I love better than an easy recipe, especially if it's a dessert. It sounds absolutely wonderful! Ive never made a mousse before, this one seems like a great way to introduce myself to the process!
White chocolate is my favourite. I like it better than any other type of chocolate and yes, I know it does not deserve the name "chocolate", the purists say, because it does not have cocoa. Well, it has cocoa butter.
I've also been searching for the true chocolate mousse and have not yet found one. But I like your combination with the passionfruit. I have a passionfruit pudding recipe that we used to do in Africa. Have to make it and post it sometime.
I think perhaps the recipe was more like a whit chocolate pot than a mousse. If you melt the chocolate the fold it though whipped cream you should get a moussee... Adding water to chocolate makes it seize I wonder why you would want it to seize for melissas recipe?
I think the moussee looks gorgeous :)
Wow, your blog became one out of what I like the most. Your picture is very vivid and fresh. Especially I like your detailed description of recipe and food. I also like chocolate mousse. But I have not tasted white mousse au chocolat. To know its real taste, I'd like to try to make it.
Oh that looks so good! I love your first picture with the double exposure/changing picture - I didn't even notice it until I scrolled down and then thought - hey, there's several passionfruits in there! Mmm, and white chocolate mousse... Yum!
Mmmm, I bet this would be wonderful frozen as well. And with raspberries... and with my fork!
Nicky,
I really absolutely love your site, definetely among my top favourites!
I also love white chocolate and made a mousse recently which was very nice - with that airy mousse texture. I used the same very simple but super receipe which I use for dark chocolate mousse:
Melt 100g of white chocolate with 50ml cream in a double boiler. Add 3 egg yolks (optionally a few drops of orange liqueor) and 4 whisked egg whites. Chill it for min. overnight. Makes 4 ramekins.
Viele Grüsse, eine Ungarin aus Brüssel.
There must be some other way to say "this looks and sounds great, am drooling, will have to try it"! Seems like we all are amazed with your recipes as well as your presentation and keep on writing the same things in the comments. How about "tlasgadwhtti!"? ;-)
The tiny little air bubbles you refer to: I think it is the water that does it. I have made mousses (regular, though, not white) a couple of times, even with sparkling water, and believe this to be the secret. No idea on the chemisty/physics of it though!
Passionfruit is my absolute most favourite fruit and you've made the most beautiful dessert with it. I LOVE it. I want to marry it.
I love all your passionfruit photos.well, all your photos really. They are simply gorgeous!!!!!
Hello Melissa,
I've read about recipes that included water as an ingredient and was skeptic at the time, but it sure looks like there is a reason for it...and thank you for the recipe ;-)
Hi Michele, Chocopie, Lyn,
Thank you. The breadth of mousse recipes is amazing. If you are not too keen on a bubbly/airy texture, it is definitely a recipe to start with.
Hi Ana,
Yes, please do post your passion fruit pudding, anything with passion fruit must be a good thing ;) Now you got me curious...
Hello clare eats,
I've haven't had chocolate pots per se. But the name is so cute, I'd love to rename my recipe because of the missing airy texture "mousse" doesn't quite fit as good (I think) :)
Zarah Maria, McAuliflower,
Thanks, I'd love to share...where and when are we meeting... :)
Hallo zsofia,
Vielen Dank! ..and also for the recipe, I'll have to try this one, too. I'm sure O. won't mind at all. ;)
Hi Hande,
Thank you for the kind words, in particular "tlasgadwhtti". - Now that we're back to a more regular schedule with our Spina visits, perhaps we'll run into each other one of these days - perhaps we should be wearing name tags? ;))
Dear Mellisa
I added water once to my chocolate and only ended up lumping and seizing it.How is it that you say add water to the chocolate for making a successful mouse?Do tell me you secret.!
hmmm... I've got to say, I've never been able to get that perfect "mousse" texture without whipped eggwhites for the fluffiness and the "airpockets" ;)
Just a thought ? but white chocolate mousse looks very chic & tendance ;)... oh là là... que du bonheur ! :)
water will make chocolate seize if you add it to the chocolate after it is melted. If you melt the chocolate and water together, as suggested, there shouldn't be a problem.
Pink post-it, hooray! I become more and more comfortable with my cookbook habits every day, thanks to you ;)
That mousse with passionfruit looks absolutely beautiful! If you're still looking for recipes to try, there's one in Alice Medrich's Bittersweet, which I haven't made but should be trustworthy. It uses white chocolate (9 oz), water (6 tablespoons - or half water half liquor), and cream (1 1/2 cups), and basically involves gently melting the water and chocolate together, cooling slightly, whipping the cream to very soft peaks, and folding the two together. Not too different, but maybe the water would give it a better texture...?