This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

Dark, smooth, romantic…the perfect companion on a cool Spring evening. No, I’m not talking about your ideal partner, I’m talking mousse. Creamy, delicious, chocolate mousse! With the end of term in sight, what better way to celebrate than with this indulgent dessert? After all, everyone loves chocolate.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids) (£1.00 for 100g Tesco) – for some reason it’s 74%, but that’ll be fine.

3 large eggs, separated (£1.25 for 6 Tesco)

40g golden caster sugar (£1.60 for 1kg Tesco)

6 serving glasses (normal drinking glasses will do)

For a Vegan Recipe

240 ml (£0.50 for 400g Tesco) (You’re going to use the chickpea water and 1 400g tin should produce the required amount)

140g dark (70% cocoa) vegan chocolate (£1.60 for 100g Tesco)

20g white caster sugar (optional) (£1.60 for 1kg Tesco)

Who doesn’t like chocolate mousse?

Useful Tips

An electric hand whisk will make this process much quicker and easier, but if unavailable a normal whisk will do, just be prepared to put in time and effort.
Make sure the bowl which you will whisk your egg whites in is grease free!
The egg whites should be stiff. You should be able to invert the bowl with no slide from the egg whites/chickpea water.
How to fold: with a metal spoon, gently slice down the middle of the mixture and scoop from the bottom of the bowl, bringing the mixture to the top and folding over the incision. Repeat. There are helpful videos if you are struggling.
Chocolate burns very quickly. Keep an eye on it when melting.
Make sure the chocolate isn’t warm to the touch when adding to the egg whites. Otherwise you could end up with grainy mousse, and that’s something no one wants.
Don’t worry if the egg whites/chickpea water deflates a bit when adding the chocolate. This is to be expected.
Don’t panic if the mixture is of a pouring consistency when everything has been folded in.

Method

To separate the egg yolks from the whites, carefully crack the egg over a bowl and let the yolk settle in one half of the shell. Open the egg fully and pass the yolk back and forth between the two parts of the shell, allowing the white to drop into a bowl. Set the yolk aside.
Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a bowl. Put the bowl into a microwave, and melt on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted and smooth, let the chocolate cool for 2-3 minutes.
Whilst the chocolate is melting/cooling, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl into soft peaks.
Whisk a third of the sugar into the whites and repeat until the sugar is incorporated and the whites are glossy.
Using a metal spoon, fold a bit of the egg whites into the chocolate. This will loosen it and make it easier to fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture. Fold the rest in. Note: Gentle folding and cutting motions are needed to retain the air.
Divide the mousse equally into your glasses and cover with cling-film. Leave to chill for AT LEAST 2 hours.

Method for Vegan Recipe

Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a bowl. Put the bowl into a microwave, and melt on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted and smooth, let the chocolate cool for 2-3 minutes.
Strain your chickpeas and collect the chickpea water
Whisk the chickpea water with a manual/electric whisk until it forms stiff peaks.
If adding sugar, add a third of it at a time, whisking continuously.
Make sure the chocolate is cooled sufficiently before gently folding into the mixture with a metal spoon or silicone spatula.
Divide the mixture equally into the desired amount of glasses and chill for AT LEAST 3 hours.

This pudding is guaranteed to satisfy the most intense chocolate cravings. It is simple, inexpensive, and has the wow factor! It works whether you fancy a treat, or want to impress that special someone, or just feeding friends. Whatever the occasion, this treat is pure heaven. But let’s face it, who needs an excuse to eat chocolate?

Happy whisking!

Edited by Nicole Swain

Sources:

http://www.memegen.es/meme/icuusf

https://imgflip.com/i/p65vj

http://www.canailleblog.com/manon1376/mousse-au-chocolat,n1282320.html

http://giphy.com/gifs/food-cinemagraph-baking-ZQLaaArW53nEY

https://www.chowstatic.com/assets/recipe_photos/29197_vegan_chocolate_mo…