French Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Nib Brittle
This recipe is definitely for chocolate lovers! An adaptation of Jean-Andre Charial’s chocolate mousse (mousseux au chocolate, craquant au grue de cacao, crème glacée au caramel) for home cooks. This is a slightly simplified version of Charial’s chocolate mousse that does not lose any of its deliciousness in the translation. Almost no other dessert could be more French than this mousse.
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Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Nib Brittle
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Brittle:
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice or Tangerine Juice
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 2 oz cocoa nibs available in most stores
For the Chocolate Mousse:
- 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (35%)
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 5 egg whites
- 1/4 cup Sugar
To Finish:
- 1 quart (1.1 Litre) caramel ice cream
Instructions
For the Brittle:
- Mix flour, sugar, orange juice and melted butter in your food processor.
- Add the cocoa nibs and let sit in your refrigerator for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Put six spoonfuls of brittle batter on a silpat (see note) covered sheet pan.
- Bake ten minutes or until lightly brown.
- Let cool while making mousse.
For the Chocolate Mousse:
- Mix powdered gelatin with two tablespoons of water and let sit for ten minutes.
- Put a small amount of water in a pot to boil then remove from heat.
- Set bowl of gelatin over till it melts and turns to a clear liquid.
- Boil cream and mix with gelatin.
- Pour over chocolate chips and stir until well mixed. The chocolate should be slightly warm to room temperature.
- Beat egg whites in a stand mixer till light and frothy.
- Add sugar and continue beating for 30 seconds on high speed.
- Gently fold into chocolate and pour into serving vessels. I used clear glasses.
To Finish:
- Garnish mousse with cocoa nib brittle and a spoonful of caramel ice cream.
Notes
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