Dark Chocolate Mousse marbled with Cream & Brandy

Today is my real man’s 50^th birthday and I didn’t make him a cake!  No wait – I had my reasons.  

The thing is for many years our friend Carol has been in charge of providing him with cake and his birthday is no exception.  As I fully expected she did make him a cake but, here’s the rub, it has a note attached saying 

"Needs a few days maturing (like you)” 

so it couldn’t actually be eaten on The Day.

I didn’t panic; I just calmly made his favourite chocolate mousse.  This is a recipe I have been using pretty well since time began and it has always been popular with punters and friends alike. What took it to new heights, however, in the selling department was my adding a description to the menu …

... the reason I said "inexplicable" is because I have no idea why they happen.  Every time I make this mousse I wonder if they'll be there and they always are!

Dark Chocolate Mouse marbled with Cream & Brandy (as it happens) ~ with inexplicable etc. etc. etc.

This makes quite a lot – enough for 6-8 I would have thought.

Handy hint – to break chocolate I usually throw it onto the floor, still wrapped of course.

285g dark chocolate – broken

85g butter

5 egg whites

5 egg yolks (convenient!)

50g caster sugar – divided into 2 x 25g

480ml double cream

tot of brandy, rum or whatever

~   Melt the chocolate together with the butter in accordance with the instructions here (where there are also lots of delicious chocolate recipes!)
~   Whisk together the egg whites and 25g of caster sugar till stiff.
~   In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar till creamy.
~   In yet another bowl whisk the cream and brandy together till thick.
~   Fold together the yolks and whites then fold in the chocolate.  Folding is essential here, not stirring, as you need to keep all the air that has been whipped in earlier.
~   Fold in the cream – I do it partially for a marbled effect.
~   Put into a pretty bowl and chill till needed.  This keeps for several days if you don’t test it too much – see below. ***

Here is the mousse hiding in the fridge (I couldn't find the R!), I tried to take one with the candles alight but I was useless!

*** At one time, when I ran a very busy restaurant kitchen, I made what felt like gallons of the stuff every day.  Having always been a stickler for quality control, especially where chocky is concerned, I used to assiduously check the mousse every time I went into the cold room (several times an hour) till I developed borderline high cholesterol and decided it was probably keeping OK on its own!

This afternoon we went to Charlestown and wandered around looking at the old boats, and the sea in the winter sun and we also partook of a couple of pints.  My real man is pretty low key when it comes to celebrating but we really enjoyed it – just the two of us with nothing to do but please ourselves, something I don’t think we’ve done since April!

Orange Farm Shop

Whilst moseying about we came upon a friendly chap running a mobile farm shop from an old electric milk float.  Seems to extend a warm welcome to everyone!

I nicked that picture off their site!

He had some tempting local fruit and veg for sale, homemade breads, plus my favourite Spicy Red Onion Marmalade, Raw Chocolate and all sorts of goodies.  Might have to pop down to Charlestown for another pint next week.