A deep, concentrated dark chocolate mousse made with gently smoked chocolate. I've used my stovetop smoker for many things, but chocolate didn't occur to me until recently.
Ingredients
6 ounces / 170 g dark chocolate baking chips
2 eggs, brought to room temperature shortly before using*
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Just Date sugar, granulated cane sugar, or muscovado sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 + teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup cold heavy cream, plus sugar to taste
2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
Smoke your chocolate. Start by placing the chocolate baking chips in a shallow, heat-proof, dish or bowl. Smoke the chocolate per your smoker instructions, for about 18 minutes. The smoker temperature should be very low and gentle. The chocolate should be barely melted after smoking.
Meanwhile, separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold very stiff peaks.
Combine the water, sugar, butter, and salt in a double boiler. If you don't have a double-boiler, you can fashion one by combining the ingredients in a medium stainless steel bowl, and then placing this bowl atop a small, barely simmering saucepan of water. Stir until the ingredients come together smoothly.
Remove from heat stir in the smoked chocolate. Next, beat in the egg yolks, stirring until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Add the egg whites, and fold gently until the pudding is uniform in texture. Divide the mousse evenly across 4-6 serving cups or glasses. Chill (covered) - for a few hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, whisk the heavy cream into loose, floppy peaks adding the almond extract and sugar to taste toward the end. I typically use about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of sugar or date sugar. Serve the chocolate mousse with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
