4 egg yolks
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 tbsp cognac
6 oz semisweet chocolate, cut in small c, hunks
3 tbsp strong coffee
8 tbsp butter, soft, unsalted or sweet (
4 egg whites
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
Directions
Brush the inside of a 1-quart charlotte (cylindrical) or ring mold
with a film of vegetable oil. Invert the mold on paper towels to
drain.
In a heatproof mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a
whisk, rotary or electric beater for 2 or 3 minutes or until they are
pale yellow and thick enough to form a ribbon when the whisk is
lifted from the bowl. Beat in the Cognac.
Set the mixing bowl over a pan of barely simmering (not boiling)
water, and continue beating for 3 or 4 minutes or until the mixture
is foamy and hot. Then set the bowl over a pan of iced water and beat
for 3 or 4 minutes longer, or until the mixture is cool again and as
thick and creamy as mayonnaise.
In a heavy 4 to 6-quart saucepan, melt the chocolate with the
coffee over hot water, stirring constantly. When all the chocolate
has dissolved, beat in the butter, one piece at a time, to make a
smooth cream. Then beat the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks and
sugar.
In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk or beater, beat the egg
whites until they are stiff enough to form stiff peaks on the wires
of the whisk. Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate
mixture to lighten it, then very gently fold in the remaining egg
whites. Spoon the mousse into the oiled mold or dessert cups and
refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until it has set.
To unmold and serve, run a long, sharp knife around the sides of
the mold and dip the bottom of it in hot water for a few seconds.
Then wipe the outside of the mold dry, place a chilled serving plate
upside down over the mold, and grasping both sides firmly, quickly
turn the plate and mold over. Rap the plate on a table and the mousse
should slide easily out of the mold. If the mousse doesn't unmold at
once, repeat the whole process.
With a wire whisk, rotary or electric beater, whip the chilled
cream in a large bowl until it is firm enough to hold it's shape
softly. Garnish with mousse with the whipped cream and serve.
Source: Recipes: The Cooking of Provincial France, Foods of the World,
Time/Life Books (c) 1968 Typed by .\\ichele
Servings: 6 servings
Mousse Au Chocolate Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chocolate; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Transcribed cooking instructions as a concept can be traced way back into antiquity, certainly as far into history as the Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, sadly, these old cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to academics are some stone tablets in the Sumerian language which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. Moving our culinary historical trip onwards, there were a couple of interesting recipe books from the fourteenth century ; a cookery book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Don`t be fooled by the titles though, these two books are not about the spicy food that is served today, but instead descriptions of the types of food served to the rich. During the following few hundred years, the rich and powerful families of the West strove to offer the most extravagent banquests, and as a result the best chefs and their recipes increased in prestige. Notwithstanding that, it was during the nineteenth century that cooking and cookery books rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to assembling, trying out, and writing down the recipes of their peers. The revolution that is television gave us TV chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access thousands of recipes just like those on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Mousse Au Chocolate recipe.
