Coronavirus and Chocolate Mousse

Officially, we’ve been under a stay at home order for 9 days here in Texas. It feels like longer because it started a week and a half or so before that really when spring break was extended by a week. At this point, I feel like I should be saying, “Captain’s log. Start date…”

So, what have I been up to around the townhouse? I’m glad you asked. Since we don’t have anything better to do, I’ll tell you. Actually, I’ve been up to quite a bit. I kind of feel like my quality of living has increased since having to stay home. As promised in the last post, I have instructions for making amazing chocolate mousse. I have also been gardening and enjoying my time out of the proverbial hamster wheel. I started doing most of my grocery shopping through Costco’s delivery service, which is still amazing. I also set up a water delivery service, which just started this morning. Also amazing so far. So really, I don’t actually need to go anywhere for anything- other than walking the dogs and starting my car every few days so that the battery doesn’t go dead.

One major improvement is the food I’m eating. Before, lunch always consisted of whatever I shoved into my lunch bag before the crack of dawn when I was getting ready for work. Sometimes it was well planned, other times not so much. I had a little less than thirty minutes for lunch, and I usually ate sitting at my desk in front of my computer. Now, though… I actually have time to cook and my lunch is usually better planned and tastes a lot better. Case in point:

This was my lunch the other day: sauteed chicken with a fresh salad made with spring greens, cucumbers, mango, green onions and cilantro out of the garden.

I haven’t decided on lunch today, but it will include turnips for sure because I have some in the garden that are ready to be harvested.

Now that we are talking about food, let’s talk chocolate mousse. So, I got this recipe from the inside of a chocolate wrapper in France back like twenty years ago  a while back. I don’t make chocolate mousse using the American recipes because they always ask for things like sugar and cream of tartar. The French have a way of making desserts that are over the top rich and satisfying but not always sugar-laden. This is one of those desserts. The basic recipe only calls for 3 ingredients. Seriously. 3. It calls for 6 eggs, 2 bars of baking chocolate (200g) and a pinch of salt. That’s it. Now, this is important though. The chocolate has to be dark. The recipe is so rich that if you use milk chocolate, it will make you want to throw up- and this coming from someone who is mildly overweight and has a huge sweet tooth. Trust me. It needs to be dark chocolate.

Once you have your ingredients, this is what you do:

1. Melt the chocolate. The original instructions say to do this in a double boiler (where you put the chocolate in a small pot and then put that pot into a larger pot of boiling water). I am too lazy for that. I just put it in the microwave. I put it in for 45 seconds at a time and then stir between times. Once it’s melted, let it cool a little bit.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
3. Add the chocolate to the yolks a little bit at a time. Don’t just dump hot chocolate in all at once or you’ll cook the eggs. That would just be weird.
4. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Continue folding in the whites in parts until all of whites have been added. Mix/ fold gently until all of the chocolate and egg whites are mixed and relatively smooth.
6. Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving/ eating.

When I first started making this, I always thought I had completely messed it up in step 5. It always seemed like my whites were collapsing and that it was a total fail. Never fear. Just stir it a little bit more until the chocolate is all mixed with the eggs and then refrigerate it in the dish. Once it sets, it will be okay.

I have a very small kitchen, and any gadget I get generally has to do double duty or I don’t get it, but this egg separator is the exception. It makes separating eggs so much easier. Definitely worth the space it takes up in my gadget drawer.

This is adding the chocolate into the yolks. I am not sponsored by Le Creuset, but I totally should be! I love their stuff! If anyone from Le Creuset happens to see this, please sponsor me. I would gladly use your products and post about them. (Shameless plea).

My egg whites being beaten until stiff peaks form…

Folding in the egg whites.

Ready to go into the container to be chilled.

Ta Da! The finished chocolate mousse. I know that it looks a little like chocolate pudding, but this is so much richer and better. Plus, it has the added benefit that if you are lactose intolerant, you can still eat this. There is no milk in it. It is literally eggs, a tiny bit of salt and chocolate. Simplicity at its finest.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some mousse to eat something to attend to… Seriously though. If anyone from Le Creuset is reading this, please sponsor me.