Emelia Jackson’s light, airy chocolate mousse is the sweetest way to see in 2025
This make-ahead retro dessert, an irresistible combination of dark chocolate custard and whipped cream, is making a comeback on restaurant menus.
For some, the classic chocolate mousse never went out of style. Others are falling in love with it all over again. Here’s how to achieve a light, airy texture with a rich, chocolatey flavour.
Technique of the month: How to fold ingredients together
The goal of folding together two mixtures of different densities is to avoid over-mixing yet retain as much air as possible. But what’s the secret to mixing gently and with as few strokes as possible? Using a whisk. It may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you think about it. The whisk’s wide, open structure allows it to move through batter efficiently, with fewer flat surfaces to knock the air out of your whipped cream or egg whites as you fold. Use the same motion with a whisk as you would when folding with a spoon or spatula: cut down the centre of the mixture and bring the whisk up and over in a circular motion. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and continue until just combined. You will find your batters and mousses come together so much more quickly.
Ingredients
1 sheet gold leaf gelatin (see note)
200g good-quality dark chocolate, plus extra to serve
100g egg yolks (about 5)
100ml full-cream milk
50g caster sugar
300g thickened cream
Method
Step 1
Add the gelatin to a small bowl of iced water and set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Once softened, squeeze out excess water and set aside. Chop the 200g chocolate, place in a large bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, milk and sugar to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring, until the mixture reaches 75C or has thickened slightly. Take care not to overheat the custard as the yolks will curdle. Add the softened gelatin and stir to dissolve.
Step 3
Pour the warm custard through a sieve to remove any egg white and undissolved gelatine over the bowl of chocolate, and stir until the chocolate has melted. If it doesn’t melt completely, microwave it on medium in 30-second bursts until melted.
Step 4
Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool for 30 minutes to an hour before folding through the cream. When touched with a fingertip, the mixture should have no remaining warmth.
Step 5
Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold it through the cooled chocolate mixture using a whisk (see note).
Step 6
Transfer the mousse to the fridge to set for 2-3 hours before piping into serving glasses using a large star tip. You could also set the mousse directly into serving glasses, if you prefer. Shave a little chocolate over each dish using a vegetable peeler to serve.
Note
If you can’t find gold leaf gelatine, substitute 5g powdered gelatine sprinkled over 20ml of full-cream milk to bloom. Add in step 2.
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