The hardest part of this recipe is whipping the egg whites just right and folding them gently into the chocolate, but even if you over whip and over fold you will still have a super yummy dessert. It may be slightly denser and pudding like but it will still be lovely— it is after all chocolate.
Because the dessert is so simple it is absolutely imperative that you use good chocolate. My favorites are Valrhona and Guittard but in a pinch Ghiradelli will do. I'm going to assume you will find either Guittard or Ghiradelli since they are the most commercially available. For this recipe lets go with chocolate chips and not bars.
This recipe contains raw eggs. If you can't have raw eggs make this flourless chocolate cake instead.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3/4 cups heavy cream
5 yolks
3 whites
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces or 1 dry measure cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
Separate your eggs. Put your yolks in a small bowl and your whites in the bowl of your mixer. Put away the 2 extra whites to use in your breakfast tomorrow, and let your 5 yolks and 3 whites come to room temp, if possible. This is not a deal breaker but whites whip best when they are room temp.
Place your chocolate chips in a medium to large bowl and heat your cream in a small sauce pan. Pour your hot cream over the chocolate and cover it with a sheet tray or a plate. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Then whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth. One by one add the yolks to the melted chocolate and whisk. Set aside.
Whip your whites with a mixer using the whisk attachment on the first setting until they start looking foamy. Add the salt and turn the mixer up a notch. Once your whites take on a little more body, slowly pour in the sugar. Whip until the whites get a tiny bit stiffer— about 1 minute.
Whisk in 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture using the whisk attachment from your mixer. You are sacrificing that 1/3 to loosen up the chocolate so that the other 2/3 will incorporate as gently as possible.
Switch to a spatula and fold in 1/3 very gently so as to not deflate your egg whites. Then fold in the last third. Stop as soon as the meringue is fully incorporated.
Scoop your mousse into a pretty bowl or into individual dishes, cover with plastic, and place in the refrigerator to chill and set.