What is a Good Chocolate Mousse?

If you’ve tried to make chocolate mousse and ended up with something more like chocolate pudding, you’re not alone. Chocolate Mousse can be difficult to master. A good chocolate mousse is much lighter and fluffier than pudding.

It should have the consistency of something halfway between a pudding and a meringue, and should melt on your tongue. Here are some tips to help you make your own wonderful homemade chocolate mousse.

Small Details Make All the Difference

If you flip through a few different recipes for chocolate mousse you will notice that they all call for heavy cream.  Some of the cream will go into a saucepan to be combined with other ingredients, and some will be whipped with an electric beater. 

What some recipes fail to mention is that you should use chilled heavy cream for beating.  Don’t measure out your cream and let it sit on the counter until you’re ready to use it.  Make sure it’s still cold when you start to whip it.  Cold cream is more dense than room temperature cream, and will hold stiff peaks much better than warm cream.  The stiffer you can beat your cream, the fluffier your chocolate mousse will be.

There are two issues you will need to consider in selecting and preparing your chocolate for your chocolate mousse.  First off, the better quality chocolate, the richer your chocolate mousse will turn out.  If you can afford to splurge a little forego the grocery store, and head to a gourmet food market for some really high quality chocolates. 

The second issue is the method you use to melt the chocolate.  Most recipes call for a double broiler, and this method of melting the chocolate will yield a better taste in the end.  If you don’t have a double broiler, you can easily improvise. 

Simply select a metal bowl that will cradle inside a saucepan without touching the bottom of it.  Don’t ignore this instruction and try to melt the chocolate directly in the saucepan.  You’ll most likely end up with very bitter-tasting chocolate, which will negatively affect your finished chocolate mousse.

Presentation

To really top off your mastered chocolate mousse, you’ll want to present it well.  You’ll be asked to spoon your chocolate mousse into individual cups to chill, and you’ll want to use either glass or ceramic containers to achieve the best chilling effect.  If you don’t own dessert cups, be creative.  Use wine glasses or large espresso cups.  Once your chocolate mousse is chilled, top it with some homemade whipped cream and a little fresh fruit, chocolate shavings, or sprig of mint, and enjoy!