Ingredients
Chocolate mousse with a hint of orange zest
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup fresh-brewed strong black coffee or espresso
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons orange extract
4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 cup whipping cream, well chilled
Optional topping (or simply use a can of ready-made whipped cream):
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
1. Melt chocolate very slowly in a heavy saucepan. When most of the
chocolate chips are melted, stir in coffee and continue heating
slowly for 1 minute.
2. Put egg yolks in a small bowl set on a kitchen towel, mix well
with fork and temper with the hot mix. To temper: Add spoonfuls of
the hot chocolate while stirring vigorously. Continue adding
chocolate until several tablespoons have been stirred into the yolks.
After this tempering you can safely stir the yolks into the hot
chocolate without the danger of having them curdle from the heat.
3. Continue heating the mixture very slowly, and keep stirring until
the liquid is velvety smooth and free of unmelted chocolate chips.
Remove from heat and stir in orange extract.
4. Whip egg whites into the soft-peak stage. Empty the egg whites
into a large bowl, then pour the chilled cream into the bowl in which
you whipped the egg whites (no need to wash). Whip cream into a firm-
peaks stage.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently blend the whipped cream and whipped
egg whites in the large bowl.
6. Slowly fold the blended mixture into the warm chocolate mix. Spoon
into eight individual serving containers. Garnish with optional
whipped topping. (Whip the cream with the sugar to the firm-peaks
stage.)
Makes eight 5-1/2-ounce servings.
