Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 c. sugar

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Be very careful not to introduce any yolk into the whites or they will not beat up as well.

Begin by melting the chocolate in a double boiler, and beating or whipping each of the other ingredients. Beat the egg whites until light and fluffy, and forming soft peaks. Also beat the egg yolks until light yellow and fluffy, and whip the whipped cream.

To assemble the mouse, the melted chocolate, egg yolks, egg white, and whipped cream are mixed together. To keep the mousse light and fluffy, start with the chocolate, the heaviest item, and mix the egg yolks into it, folding gently. Then fold in the next heaviest ingredient, the egg whites. Fold in the whipped cream last of all. Each addition raises the volume of the confection. If you try mixing a heavy item into a light item, you will only flatten it out, and it is important to a good mousse that it remain light.

Depending on the sweetness of the chocolate you used, you may need to add sugar to taste, but the mousse should not be too sweet.

Pour into parfait glasses and chill.

Bon Appetit!

See also Mousse, Wikipedia Cookbook.