Luscious white chocolate mousse.

This is a perfect dessert for white-chocolate lovers – creamy and chocolaty, yet incredibly light and fluffy at the same time. A mousse is nowhere near as difficult to make as you may think, but it is bound to impress; these pale beauties would therefore make an ideal end to a dinner party. They take less than half an hour to make and can be left in the fridge hours in advance (you could make them the day before). Your guests will be so impressed with your culinary skills they will want to eat round your house every day of the week! Ok, so maybe that is not a completely advantageous outcome – but you get the idea.

I got this recipe from Rachel Allen’s “food for living”.

Ingredients

Serves 2 (although 1 person could quite happily polish it off without any problems)

50g white chocolate, chopped

75ml double cream

½ leaf of gelatine*

1 large egg white

25g caster sugar

Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water (also known as a bain marie). Set aside, leaving the chocolate to cool slightly. Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it is almost stiff and place in the fridge.

Place the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water for 3-4 minutes until it has softened. Drain off the water and then add 2 tablespoons of boiling water and stir to dissolve the gelatine.

Place the egg white in a medium-sized bowl with half the sugar, whisk until it’s firm and then add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff.

Pour the dissolved gelatine into the melted chocolate and stir to mix, then fold in the whisked egg white mixture and, lastly, fold in the cool whipped cream. Pour into glasses or bowls, cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours until just set.

*Quick note on the gelatine – for some reason (heaven knows why), the standard size of gelatine leaves has been reduced. This can easily put a spanner in the works; last year for example, I made a cheesecake that was branded a complete disaster thanks to a lack of gelatine – let’s just say it was a complete flop, literally. To avoid this, you will need to experiment by adding a little more gelatine. Gelatine leaves are now around ½ the size they used to be; for this recipe I used just over a third of a sheet and it seemed to work fine. Also be aware that if you add too much gelatine, your mousse will relinquish its fluffy qualities and will start to resemble more of a rubber ball – you have been warned. 

There is, unfortunately, a further pitfall you should be aware of. White chocolate is not as stable as its plain counterpart; you must be careful when melting the chocolate that you don’t take it too far and let it seize. Instead, melt it gently and keep your eye on it, removing it from the heat as soon as it is sufficiently melted. When you add the boiling water to your chocolate mixture, it may start to split; don’t panic – just return the mixture to a gentle heat, constantly stirring, until you are reunited with a smooth and glossy paste.

The pitfalls I just mentioned should not put you off – I still regard this recipe as straightforward, so long as you follow the method carefully. If you do experience some difficulties, stay calm and carry on - it will sort itself out in the end, and boy will it have been worth it.    

As this recipe uses minimal chocolate, I found myself with a pleasing amount leftover – what a shame, I had to find another way to put it to use........

;-)