Enjoy National Chocolate Mousse Day With The Best Olive Oil!
Just when we thought that the chocolate treats brought by the advent of Easter could not get more bountiful, April 3rd brings us National Chocolate Mousse Day! And the really great news is that this delicious desert can be made with the best extra virgin olive oils around.
Make Your Chocolate Mousse The Mediterranean Way – With Olive Oil
As you may know, the concept of mousse originates from France where it was introduced around the year 1615. Mousse is prepared by beating eggs or cream or both to a frothy, airy consistency and then folding the ingredients together to create a light, creamy delight. While mousse can be either savory or sweet, for this day of celebration, we will focus on the version that has captured our hearts the most: chocolate mousse.
At Morocco Gold, we have talked a lot about how extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for saturated fat when baking but can it really work for something as delicate as mousse?
The answer is a resounding yes! It is light, creamy and – above all – full of health benefits which can help you enjoy your chocolate treat guilt free.
In the United States, an advertisement in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1887 included classes on how to make chocolate mousse offered by a Miss Parloa. She also advised how to make potato soup, larded grouse, potato timbale, and corn muffins. From dark chocolate to milk chocolate, bittersweet, or any combination, there is plenty of variety when it comes to chocolate mousse.
Best Recipe For Chocolate Mousse With Olive Oil
As such a beloved favourite for those with a sweet tooth, it’s hardly surprising that there are no shortage of recipes for chocolate mousse out there. But we love this one from Nigella Lawson on BBC Good Food which really uses the extra virgin olive oil to give the mousse a creamy texture.
Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse
Ingredients
- 150g/5½oz dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, roughly chopped
- 100ml/3½fl oz Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large free-range eggs, at room temperature, separated
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes, plus a pinch
- 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a large heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water (but not touching the water), making sure – either way – you remove it from the heat before it is completely melted, then stir it gently so that the last little pieces of chocolate dissolve. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt flakes in a grease-free bowl until you have firm peaks. Set aside.
- Whisk the yolks, sugar and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt flakes in a separate large bowl until pale, thick and about doubled in volume.
- Gradually pour the chocolate-oil mixture into the beaten yolks and fold to mix completely. Add a third of the beaten egg whites and fold in vigorously to lighten the mixture; no need to be delicate at this stage. Now gently fold in another third of the egg whites and, when that second lot is incorporated, fold in the final third leaving behind any liquid at the bottom of the bowl of whites. No white streaks should be visible.
- Gently spoon the mousse into your ramekins or cups. To get the right texture – soft and satiny, rather than set like a more traditional mousse – you can either refrigerate for 20 minutes then eat straight away, or for an hour and then take out to come to room temperature for 40 minutes before eating.
- So if you’re appetite for National Chocolate Mousse Day has been whetted by this recipe (and who would blame you!), here are some other fun ways to mark the occasion.
