Thursday 26 February 2009

Chocolate Caramel Mousse Pots

Everyone should have a good recipe for chocolate mousse in their repertoire, it's simple, elegant and can be prepared well in advance, the perfect dessert for entertaining. These Chocolate Caramel Mousse Pots have a layer of salted caramel at the bottom and are finished off with whipped cream, the flavour is intensely chocolatey and very rich. You couldn't eat much of this but served in small glasses they are the perfect end to a meal.

Recipe: Makes four individual portions.

For the salted caramel layer:
45g Light brown sugar
15g Butter
40ml Double cream
A large pinch of sea salt

For the mousse:
100g Good dark chocolate
3 Eggs, seperated.
40g Granulated or castor sugar
Whipped cream to finish
Method:
To make the caramel:
  • Mix the sugar with a tablespoon of water and heat in a small pan over a gentle heat until it has melted and become liquid.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, followed by the cream and the salt.
  • Pour into the base of four ramekins or glasses.

To make the mousse:
  • Break up the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
  • Once the chocolate has melted take it of the heat, allow it to cool slightly the beat in the egg yolks making sure they are well incorporated.
  • Meanwhile in a seperate bowl whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar and continue to whisk for another minute.
  • Fold a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate using a metal spoon, be careful not to knock the air out of the mixture.
  • Fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and pour the mousse over the caramel in the ramekins or glasses.
  • Leave the mousses to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours before topping with whipped cream.
  • Serve.

19 comments:

Katie said...

Everything you post looks so nice I end up having to make! The caramel is a nice twist, especially if you put this in ramekins where you couldn't see it at the bottom, it would be a nice surprise.

Anne said...

Ooh they sound and look so delicious!

pigpigscorner said...

I've never made mousse actually, but it sure sounds very simple and delicious!

Nic said...

They look incredible!
Waitrose sells almost identical mousses with the salted caramel bottom and I've been meaning to make my own for ages. Yours are far superior with the cream topping - you can tell that I'm dribbling here, lol!

Amanda said...

Oh, Sam--this is just the kind of thing that causes me to drool! I love the idea of salted caramel under the mousse. And I've never made a proper mousse, either. I guess it's time to start!

Karen said...

Wow, I love the salted caramel on the bottom... what an ending to a chocolat-y mousse!

Sylvie said...

Sam those sound fantastic. I like the little surprise at the bottom of the glass.

Pam said...

Delicious. This is on the MUST MAKE list - great recipe Sam.

Katie said...

They look fab. I love how you have to dig down to the bottom to get the gooey caramel.

Anonymous said...

oh my.

OH MY. just that layer of caramel is getting my salivary glands working overtime. looks fabu.

Cate said...

that is just the sort of thing that would make my pants rebel. which is fine, because i can always wear skirts to eat this. it looks incredibly delicious. thank you!

Maggie said...

The caramel layer is a nice touch. These look really lovely.

Anonymous said...

These mousse pots look great. I suppose if you cycle a lot it must help to alleviate all that guilt.

I write a food blog too. Please come visit if you have time.

Anonymous said...

I love anything with salted caramel. This looks like it would be such a delicious surprise at the bottom!

Anonymous said...

Oh man - you didn't! I have just died and gone to heaven. Love salted caramel + chocolate. What a wonderful way to put it all together.

Hopie said...

Great idea to add the layer of salted caramel. I'm bookmarking this recipe!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Oh Sam. Oh wow. Wow.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous. Caramel and chocolate are fantastic together, and these little guys look particularly good:)

Anonymous said...

Salted caramel is one of my absolute favorite flavors! Combine it with a silky chocolate mousse, you've got dessert gold!