Chocolate Mousse {Lightened Up Recipe}
As an Amazon Affilate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.
Chocolate mousse is the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers! Rich, creamy, and decadent, it’s also relatively easy to make, and it looks fancy enough for special occasions.
Oh, so close to Valentine’s Day, I guess it’s time for me to get all romantic. Chocolate desserts it is then!
What else? I don’t really like Flan or Creme Brûlée. It’s a texture thing…too…creamy…too smooth, but Chocolate Mousse? That’s a different story! Chocolate mousse is a little bit denser, richer and a lot more fun!
I’ve had these twee little tea cups, inherited from various relatives, for decades. I’ve never really understood the point of them. Too tiny for anything more than a sip or two, and even my small fingers don’t grasp them as comfortably as a sturdy mug. So they’ve lingered in my china hutch without purpose all these years.
With Valentine’s Day next week, I decided to use them for just the right-sized serving of this lighter version of chocolate mousse. Though it uses half-and-half, it still is rich enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. I adapted this recipe from Health Magazine. Instead of fat free half-and-half and reduced fat sour cream, I used regular half-and-half and full fat sour cream. I’m not afraid of fat any more, especially in an occasional treat.
Enjoy this decadent, lightened up chocolate mousse!
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped. (I used a combination of both...mostly dark)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites or 2 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Place chocolate, half-and-half and salt in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl; cook over simmering water until chocolate is melted, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool to room temperature (15-20 minutes).
- Meanwhile, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg white, just until soft peaks form. (I did this by hand, with a balloon whisk, since it was such a small amount of whites). Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk sour cream and vanilla into chocolate and vanilla into chocolate mixture. In two batches, whisk the egg-white mixture into the chocolate mixture until just blended. Transfer mousse to small serving dishes or stemmed glasses.
- Cover dishes ightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Top each mousse with fresh whipped cream before serving.
- Makes about 6, 1/3 cup servings.
Nutrition
