My Excellent Degustations

This is a classic recipe of chocolate mousse, it's easy and ready in 10 minutes, but it's preferable to consume it after being chilled for 24 hours.

1. Put chocolate, heavy cream and butter in a heatproof bowl.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water(bain marie) and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside.
3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks
4. Add 1 egg yolk at the time to the chocolate mixture and whisk fast to avoid scrambling the eggs. Once the egg yolks are well incorporated to the chocolate mixture, set aside.
5. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt for a minute or two then add in gradually the sugar. Keep whisking until stiff peaks form.
6. Take about 2 tablespoons of the egg whites and mix well with the chocolate egg yolks mixture, to loosen it a little bit.
7. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites to the chocolate egg yolk mixture.
8. Pour in serving cups then cover the cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
9. Decorate the chocolate mousse with your desired decoration(optional).
10. Serve.

1. First, butter well 3 and ½ inch ramekins, bottoms and sides. Dust each ramekin with granulated sugar and move the ramekin or rotate it to make sure that the sugar sticks to the butter in all sides. Pour out the excess sugar.

2.  To melt the chocolate, Put chocolate and heavy cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Mix constantly until chocolate melts, then add in butter and mix to obtain a nice shiny mixture. Set aside.

3.  In a bowl mix the egg yolk , vanilla and  cornstarch. Set aside.
4.  Put the milk in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to boil.
5.  Pour the milk over the egg yolk mixture, whisk constantly to avoid scrambling the egg yolk.
6. Pour back the milk egg yolk mixture in the saucepan over medium low heat, whisk constantly until thickened. The texture should look like a pastry cream.
7. Pour over the chocolate, and whisk until well combined. Let cool.
8.  In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt for about 2 to 3 minutes then slowly add in the sugar.
9.  Keep beating until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
10. Loosen the chocolate mixture with 2 tablespoons of the egg whites.
11.  Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until you obtain a nice shiny mixture that looks like chocolate mousse.
12. Spoon the soufflé Mixture in the ramekins and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
13. Dust with powdered sugar.
14. Serve immediately as the soufflé will slowly deflate once removed from the oven.