Chocolate mousse is without a doubt one of the great classics of the pastry world and it certainly is one of my favorites. A perfect chocolate mousse should be creamy, light and airy with a rich chocolate flavor. However, if the chocolate mousse is paired with other flavors it is important not to use chocolate with a very high cocoa content, as this can cause the mouse to completely overshadow the other components.
For a caramel chocolate mousse it is essential to start with a well made caramel. A good caramel flavor is obtained by caramelizing sugar to a rich honey color, basically, right before the caramel releases smoke. If the caramel is too light in color it will result in an overly sweet final result without the desired caramel flavor.
Caramel chocolate mousse pairs well with coffee, star anise, cinnamon, cherries, limes and certain teas. Make certain to serve chocolate mousse not too cold, the best flavor and texture is achieved when it is removed from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before being served. (Depending on size)
Getting it all together!
A well made chocolate mousse is one of the few desserts which can be delicious without any other elements present and can work perfectly served in a glass or other contemporary container. The entremet or torte shown is made in a plastic mold but certainly anything will work. Once the mousse is prepared the setting process starts, therefore it needs to be immediately filled into the selected vessel. Otherwise delicate air cells will be damaged and the mousse will be heavy. The cocoa content of chocolate will have an effect on the final favor and the firmness of the mousse.
Well wrapped, chocolate mousse can easily be kept in a freezer for up to a week. I am especially fond of pairing a caramel chocolate mousse with Italian amarena cherries. The sweet tartness and complex flavor of the wild amarena cherries make this dessert extra special. Many fresh fruits will deteriorate and release juices when defrosted, therefore it is usually better not to introduce fresh fruits if you are planning to freeze the mousse. On the bottom of the entremet I have placed a disk of prebaked hazelnut tart dough. This recipe can be found in the On Baking book or on this site under Meyer lemon tarts.
Caramel Chocolate Mousse
Yield: Mousse for 10 servings
| 2 Cups | (16 oz) | Whipping cream (a) (34-36% fat) | 480 ml |
| ¾ Cup | (6 oz) | Extra fine granulated sugar | 180 g |
| ¾ Cup | (6 oz) | Whipping cream (b)(Boiling hot) | 180 ml |
| 6 oz | (6 oz) | Chocolate couverture 64% cocoa | 180 g
Amarena cherries as needed |
- Whip the whipping cream (a) to a very soft consistency as shown in the picture. Do not whip to medium peaks. Set aside at room temperature.
- In a saucepan stir the sugar using a heat resistant or rubber spatula to a deep golden caramel. Pour into the caramel the hot heavy cream (b) and stir the mixture over medium heat until no caramel lumps remain. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 TBSP (1.5 oz) (45 gram) unsalted butter.
- Add the chocolate and whisk to a smooth ganache. Let cool to 108°F (42°C).
- Gently fold in the soft whipped cream (a). Immediately place the mousse into the desired mold or glasses.
- Place in a refrigerator or freeze. To be unmolded the mousse will have to be frozen overnight. Once unmolded spray with a mixture of 50% chocolate and 50% cocoa butter as shown in On Baking.
- Decorate as desired.
Wow!
Beautifully done. I am always waiting patiently for what you will do next.
Ben
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Joup.
I will make this tomorrow. Everything I have made from your site has turned out great. I’m not sure if I will be able to get hold of those cherries but I will try. Much thanks.
Dennis.
Oh My, This looks deliciously good.
Holey Moley. That looks so smooth and delectable. I don’t even know if I could bring myself to break that smoothness. Wait, it’s chocolate caramel mousse, of course I would.
Oh my goshh!! This dessert must taste so good as it looks……wonderfull recipe I would do it at home for my brother’s birthday this Monday…..
How beautiful! What a fabulous marriage of ingredients!
first opening the page and seeing this in your face rasberry tart, the tunnel out chocolate sponge cake and the over the top tubes of passion fruit piped into the tunnel just blew me away. it was such a great job . then i begin to roll down and i see how you really love what you do. who would do what you do for others to taste what you taste and feel what you feel. GREAT JOB CHEF!
Jessie,
Thank you!
Eddy
This is beautiful! How did you pipe it like that? I love the ridges!
Hi Morgan,
The ridges are from a mold. Will show you how it is done.
Eddy.
Hello Chef,
I’ve been searching for a place to buy molds similar to the one you used but I’m not having any luck. I searched online and in stores but I can only find novelty molds which I do not want. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance! On a side note.. great website! love it!
Tina,
Yes! The molds are made by PCB creation. Once you Google them you should be able to find a vendor in your area. All the best and thank you for visiting.
Eddy.
This is different product that I never seen before. I am liking the product chef eddy… Oh yeah…
Hello Chef,
I was interested to know if you have ever tried this with a milk chocolate couverture? If so was gelatin need to help stabilize the mixture due to the difference in the cocoa butter content. Thank you for your time chef.
Chef Lance,
I have not made the caramel mousse with milk chocolate and you bring up a good point about the gelatin. A few gelatin sheets would more than likely be necessary. A first try guestimate would be about 2-3. You could always serve the first test results in glasses to be served as a dessert in a glass. Naturally it will be sweeter so you may think of a combination with the caramel mousse to balance the flavor. (You just made me think of thinning down the grapefruit marmalade I just posted with Grand Marnier and layer it with a milk chocolate caramel mousse….)
Best wishes for 2011!
Eddy
Hello Chef,
I tried this recipe with the milk chocolate couverture(35%) and it is very tasty! I found that I needed about 8-9g gelatin(silver) for this mousse. Thanks for your help and have a Happy New Year!
Lance,
Thank you for sharing your outcome!
A Happy New Year to you as well!
Eddy
Chef,
This recipe is absolutely amazing but I would really really like to know how you got the ridges??
Thanks,
Natalia
this looks great and I hope I could use a milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
chef eddy,
can you add fruit into a mousse? in the pictures about it looks like you added cherries to the mousse. if you can add fruit, are there some fruits you dont recommend putting into the mousse.
Thank you
Raina
Can we PLEASE make this in class? It sounds amazing and heavenly. I always love your chocolate mousse desserts. If we don’t make it in class I am going to have to make it soon at home for my family. Chocolate and caramel work perfectly together. Instead of cherries could you use strawberries instead? Or hazelnuts?
Oh Chef thats nicely done ….
Wow! Awesome.
This is absolutely beautiful! What other fruits would you recommend that wont release their juices besides the Italian amarena cherries?
I enjoyed the mousse the creamy,rich flavor and adding the coca gelee to it made the finish product beautiful. The added elements such as the chocolate tart and chocolate decorate just wowed me.
The presentation of this mousse is unique and unexpected. I often envision mousse in glasses, but placing it on a tart disc and using a larger serving version is inventive and looks delicious!