White chocolate mousse recipe

CHOCOLATE continues to be one of the great treats to feature in the kitchen, just note the popularity of the traditional chocolate cake which remains a winner with all ages.

Sweet success: White chocolate mousse is a rare, delicious treat. Picture: Andy Rogers

CHOCOLATE continues to be one of the great treats to feature in the kitchen. Just note the popularity of the traditional chocolate cake, which remains a winner with all ages.

These days white chocolate is coming more into the limelight, too, particularly since real white chocolate is more readily available.

White chocolate can be just as good as its darker cousins — if you know how to use it. It can star in your dessert or play a supporting role, for contrast, opposite dark chocolate or tangy berries or citrus. This delicious mousse is a great treat.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Serves 4-6

250ml thickened cream

1 tbsp dark rum

2 tsp bourbon

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp unflavoured gelatine

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra for garnish

Pinch salt

110g white chocolate, at room temperature, finely chopped

2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

½ tsp cream of tartar

Grated dark chocolate, for garnish

Put 180ml of the cream in a medium metal bowl and refrigerate until ready to whip.

Put the rum, bourbon and vanilla in a small bowl, sprinkle with the gelatine and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the gelatine. Bring the remaining cream, nutmeg and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine mixture to dissolve. Stir in the white chocolate. If necessary, return the pan to very low heat, stirring continuously, until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the egg yolks. Refrigerate until cooled but not set, about 10 minutes.

Whip the cold cream with a handheld electric mixer to stiff peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture until smooth but still streaky. Refrigerate while preparing the egg whites.

Wash and dry the beaters thoroughly and then whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the mousse until just incorporated. Divide the mousse among six 180ml ramekins and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours. Before serving, grate a generous amount of nutmeg over the top of the mousse and finish with some finely grated dark chocolate.

MAKE SURE IT’S REAL WHITE CHOCOLATE

BEFORE you invest time and other ingredients to make a truly rich dessert, be sure you use the best ingredients and that includes having the right white chocolate. Real white chocolate is a creamy off-white to buttery yellow or ivory, never stark white. It is made of cocoa butter — the fat without the dry cocoa solids contained in the cocoa bean — mixed with sugar, dry milk solids, milk fat, lecithin, and vanilla. Cocoa butter should be the only fat other than milk fat stated on the label.

      Don’t confuse white chocolate with white chocolate chips or other similar confectioneries, which are designed for making decorations or edible craft projects, but not meant for melting and blending into a batter.

Never assume you can substitute white for dark chocolate in a recipe; 99 per cent of the time it will not work well in a recipe that calls for the dark variety. Start with a recipe that actually calls for white chocolate.

TAKE CARE WHEN MELTING WHITE CHOCOLATE

WHITE chocolate burns at a lower temperature than dark chocolate does, so be extra vigilant. As always with chocolate, avoid contact with moisture: chop it very finely with a dry knife on a dry cutting board and put it in a dry stainless steel bowl (if using a water bath). Bring a wide saucepan of water to a simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and wait a minute or so. Then set the bowl of chocolate directly in the water and stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and warm (not hot) to the touch.

To melt in a microwave, put the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on low or defrost: start with 1-2 minutes for small amounts up to 85g, or 3 minutes for larger amounts. Stir the chocolate well, even if most of it is still unmelted, and return it to microwave in increments of 5 to 15 seconds or more each time, depending on how much of the chocolate is still unmelted each time, stirring after each one.

CREME BRULEE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE

HEAT 600ml thickened cream, 100g white chocolate (broken into pieces) and 1 split vanilla pod in a saucepan until the chocolate has melted.

Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes, scraping the pod seeds into the cream. Heat the oven to 160C. Beat 6 yolks and 2 tablespoons demerara sugar until pale. Stir in the chocolate cream. Strain into a jug and divide the mixture between 8 ramekins. Place in a deep roasting tray and pour boiling water halfway up the sides. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just set and still wobbly in the centre. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. To serve, sprinkle some extra sugar on top of each of the ramekins and caramelise with a blowtorch or briefly under a hot grill. Leave the caramel to harden and then serve.