Ingredients
| CHOCOLATE MOUSSE | |
| 6 eggs, separated | |
| 70g brown sugar | |
| 125g salted butter | |
| 290g dark chocolate, roughly chopped | |
| CHERRY COMPOTE | |
| 200g pitted cherries | |
| 30g sugar | |
| 1 teaspoon lemon juice | |
| WHIPPED CRÈME FRAÎCHE | |
| 100g cream | |
| 100g crème fraîche | |
| 20g icing sugar | |
| ⅛ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence | |
| TO SERVE | |
| 100g fresh cherries |
This baked chocolate mousse is indulgent yet fresh, with the crème fraîche and fresh cherries cutting through the richness. Serving the mousse straight from the fridge will give you a firmer texture, while letting it warm up slightly will result in a softer, more gooey slice.
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Instructions
| 1. | CHOCOLATE MOUSSE |
| 2. | Heat the oven to 180°C. |
| 3. | Spray a 24cm springform tin with spray oil and line the base with a round of baking paper. |
| 4. | Put the egg whites in a stand mixer bowl with the brown sugar and whisk on a medium-high speed for at least 5 minutes, or until you have a stiff-peaked meringue. |
| 5. | While the egg whites are whisking, melt the butter in a small pot over a medium heat. |
| 6. | Once melted, remove from the heat and add the chocolate. |
| 7. | Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is fully melted – it should be warm but not hot. |
| 8. | Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. |
| 9. | Pour the chocolate mix into a large bowl then pour the meringue on top of this. |
| 10. | Gently fold the chocolate and meringue together using a whisk, until the mix is almost fully combined. |
| 11. | Then use a spatula to fold the mix a few more times to ensure there’s no unmixed chocolate at the bottom of the bowl. |
| 12. | The mousse should still be a bit streaky but very light and airy. |
| 13. | Pour this into the tin and bake for 20 minutes until the mousse is very puffy but still quite wobbly in the middle. |
| 14. | Allow to cool at room temperature before chilling the mousse in the fridge overnight, or for up to three days. |
| 15. | The mousse will collapse as it cools, but this is part of its charm! |
| 16. | CHERRY COMPOTE |
| 17. | Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the cherries have softened and the juices have reduced into a thick compote, about 5 minutes. |
| 18. | Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to a week. |
| 19. | WHIPPED CRÈME FRAÎCHE |
| 20. | Whisk everything together to form a stiff-peaked cream. |
| 21. | Use immediately to finish the mousse. |
| 22. | TO SERVE |
| 23. | Spread the crème fraîche over the chilled mousse, then spoon the cherry compote on top of this. |
| 24. | Decorate with fresh cherries. |
| 25. | Store in the fridge until ready to serve. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith
Photography Aaron McLean
Styling Fiona Lascelles