Dark Chocolate Mousse, the Royal Orleans

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Title: Dark Chocolate Mousse, the Royal Orleans
Categories: Puddings, Desserts
Yield: 12 servings

Chocolate Mousse
12 oz Top-quality semi-sweet
Chocolate (the better
The chocolate, the better
The mousse)
1 c Whipping cream
1/4 c Hot coffee
1/4 c Hot water
3 Egg yolks, beaten
1 ts Vanilla
5 Egg whites
1/3 c Sugar

For dark chocolate mousse, as was served at the Royal Orleans (and was
considered to be the best chocolate mousse anyone had ever tasted),
use the list of ingredients below and follow the same procedure as
above, except using hot coffee instead of brandy, and whisking the
vanilla into he egg yolk-chocolate mixture instead of into the whites.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. It's a good idea
to stand over the chocolate while it is melting and stir it until it's
completely melted, then take it off the heat immediately.

Whip the cream and set aside. Pour the hot coffee and hot water
slowly into a bowl with the egg yolks, whisking briskly as you go
until completely mixed. Add the vanilla to the egg yolks.

Whisk in the melted chocolate. Keep whisking even after the mixture is
completely combined; this will help to cool the chocolate. Whip the
egg whites and the sugar until peaking but not dry.

Fold the egg-white meringue into the chocolate mixture carefully with
a wooden spoon.

Fold in the whipped cream. THIS IS THE MOST CRUCIAL PART OF THE
RECIPE. The key to a great chocolate mousse is that you can't
incorporate hot melted chocolate into whipped cream. The chocolate
mixture must be cool to the touch or the cream will break. Lightly
blend the two mixtures until uniform.

This mousse is at its best cloudlike texture right after
incorporating the whipped cream. But at Andrea's, they pipe it into
dish-shaped champagne glasses, sprinkle chocolate shavings and
powdered sugar over the top, and refrigerate. This causes the mousse
to set, which gives it a different, heavier texture. Walt MM

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