Chocolate Mousse with Berries and Almond Tuiles, vanilla, cinnamon,

          A safer alternative to older, traditional chocolate mousse recipes, this variation does not use raw eggs. From start to finish, the mousse takes about half an hour to make and needs only about an hour to set in the fridge. Use a good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar to make this mousse (chocolate chips won't work). Crunchy cookies, such as almond tuiles, will provide contrast to the smoothness of the mousse, and the acidity in the berries will balance its sweetness..


Chocolate Mousse

Makes about 3 cups

Serve with

Mixed berry salad
Almond tuiles

Ingredients

3 large eggs
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet
chocolate (65% to 70% cocoa), chopped
1/4 cup water or strong coffee
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

Tools

Stainless steel mixing bowls, pot with handle, electric mixer, whisk, rubber spatula, candy thermometer, pastry bag with piping tips, dessert cups.

For Cookies:

Parchment paper or Silpat, Scraper or palette knife

Tips:

             If serving mousse immediately, insert a cookie into each bowl of mousse so it stands upright (the cookies are very delicate and will get soggy if they are in the mousse too long). Alternatively, cookies can be placed on a decorative serving plate. To change the flavor of the mousse, replace the water or coffee with juice or fruit puree, or replace half the water with your favorite liqueur.

Steps:

1. Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat. By hand or with an electric mixer, whip the egg-sugar mixture until cool and thick.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and the water or coffee in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl over the pot of simmering water, and stir as necessary until melted. The mixture will be smooth and have a pudding-like consistency. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. If the chocolate gets too cold or fudgy, re-warm it over the hot water.
3. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg-sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture. If the chocolate is significantly hotter or colder than the whipped eggs and sugar, it will be difficult to combine the two.
4. Whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Then gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture. Chill until set, about one hour. Mousse can be made ahead of time and refrigerated up to two days.
5. Place a spoonful of mixed berry salad in a small bowl or cup. Outfit a pastry bag with a decorative piping tip . Alternatively, you can use a one-gallon plastic storage bag, cutting a half-inch piece off one of the bottom corners.
6. Fill the pastry or storage bag halfway with the chocolate mousse. Pipe the mousse into the cup with the fruit.