Winner of the 2005 Bed and Breakfast and Inn Recipe Contest — “Best Chocolate Recipe”
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces (we use Callebaut 60-40 bittersweet)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup coffee
2/3 cup Kahlua
4 egg yolks
8 egg whites, at room temperature
8 tablespoons sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Melt together chocolate, butter, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl whisk Kahlua into egg yolks. Then remove double boiler from heat, and gradually whisk Kahlua-egg yolk mixture into the chocolate. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a separate large bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Then turn speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Beat sugar one tablespoon at a time into egg whites, and spoon this over chocolate mixture but do not fold it in. Beat cream in the same mixing bowl with mixer on low speed until it thickens, and then beat it on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture with egg whites into cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mousse is firm (at least 4 hours).
Scallop shells or like-sized shallow dishes
3/4 pound bittersweet chocolate
Cover back of scallop shells with aluminum foil. Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Paint chocolate onto foil with a pastry brush (leave a small space around the edge of the shell, which will allow chocolate to be removed more easily). Put shells into freezer until firm. Separate shell from chocolate and foil. Peel foil off chocolate, leaving a nice chocolate shell that needs to be kept refrigerated until used.
4 pints (8 cups) fresh raspberries
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Puree raspberries into a saucepan. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Thicken with a mixture of cornstarch and water (2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water).
Put one scoop of mousse onto each chocolate shell, top with raspberry sauce, and garnish with fresh raspberries.