Chocolate mousse

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Permalink Reply by wendy martz on June 17, 2015 at 1:42pm

I found a tutorial to make choc. ganache using dark choc. and whipping cream 2:1. It didn't work, I used 20 oz ghiradelli semi-sweet baking chips and 10 oz heavy whipping cream. I added 2T conf sugar but it never got light and creamy like hers. Since I kept mixing it, it began to separate out again. Any idea why? Did I use the wrong kind of choc.? I wanted to fill my cake with it for this weekend.

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Permalink Reply by Goreti on June 17, 2015 at 3:12pm

I think it was the baking chips.  The chemicals used on them so they don't melt while baking affects the result for ganache.  I don't know if you have a Trader Joe's in your area.  But if you do, they have a Pound plus bar of Belgium chocolate that is delicious.  I usually use a mix of their dark & milk chocolate in my ganache.  I also make it in the food processor as in this tutorial  (The Rose Levy Beranbaum Method for Making Chocolate Ganache).  If you decide to use a combo of dark & milk chocolate, just measure each separately and add the appropriate ratio of cream.  I do this because I  don't care for just dark chocolate and the milk chocolate alone would be too sweet.   

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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on June 18, 2015 at 7:05am

I wouldn't classify ganache to be the same as mousse, but maybe that's because I'm in the UK.

I have a chocolate mousse cake recipe that I really like.  The cake is baked in a loose bottomed tin (my recipe is for a 9" tin).  Then it's split in two and the bottom half put back in the tin.  Then the mousse is put in on top of that and then the top half of the cake goes on.  Then it's put in the fridge to set.  This helps the sides of the cake to be even and no mousse oozing out of the sides.

Mousse recipe - 

175g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tbsp brandy (optional)

1tsp powdered gelatin

2 eggs, separated

300 ml double cream (heavy cream)

Melt choc with brandy (if using) slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water.

Meanwhile sprinkle gelatin over 1tbsp cold water in a small bowl and leave to sponge for about 10 mins.  Stand the bowl in a pan of hot water and allow to dissolve gently

Leave the melted choc to cool slightly then stir in the egg yolks.  Whip the cream until it just stands in soft peaks, then fold into the chocolate.  Stir the dissolved gelatine into the chocolate mixture.  Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry and gently fold in.

This is a really delicious mousse!

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Permalink Reply by wendy martz on June 20, 2015 at 4:37am

thank you Katy! I will have to try that! I did realize ganache is not the same as mousse, I just meant that I came across the ganache while looking for a mousse recipe.

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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on June 20, 2015 at 12:58pm

Ah OK, gotcha!

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