La Belle Cuisine
Irish Coffee Chocolate Mousse
Year in Chocolate:
Four Seasons of Unforgettable Desserts
By Alice Medrich, 2001, Warner Books, Inc.
“Irish
whiskey notwithstanding, this looks and tastes like a classic French
chocolate mousse, with its rich smooth flavor and dense but foamy texture.
Because eggs are the secret to great chocolate mousse (in my opinion), I’ve
designed this recipe to avoid the risks associated with raw eggs.”
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
chopped into
small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 to 4 teaspoons Irish whiskey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment:
Instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 ramekins or
dessert cups
To make the mousse, place the chocolate, 1/3 cup of cream,
and 1/4 tea-
spoon of the espresso powder in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in
a skillet
of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is
completely
melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the skillet, stir in the
whiskey,
and set aside.
In a heatproof medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 tablespoon
water and
2 tablespoons of the sugar until well blended. Set the bowl in the
skillet
and whisk the eggs constantly (to prevent them from scrambling) over
not-
even-simmering water until they register 160 degrees F. on an instant-read
thermometer. Remove the bowl from the skillet and beat at high speed
with
an
electric mixer until the eggs have a texture like softly whipped
cream, 3
to 4 minutes. Fold one quarter of the eggs into the chocolate.
Scrape the
chocolate mixture over the remaining whipped eggs and con-
tinue to fold
just
until evenly incorporated. Divide the mousse among
the ramekins. Chill
at
least 1 hour, or until set, before serving.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the remaining
2/3 cup cream
with the vanilla, the remaining 4 teaspoons sugar, and the
remaining
1 1/4 teaspoons espresso powder until nearly stiff. Top each
mousse
with a dollop
of cream before serving.
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