I love receiving questions and comments from readers of my column and visitors to my homepage who come upon recipes that remind them of foods from their childhood. Sometimes they ask me specific questions, and I make an effort to answer each and every message. If I happen to receive a bundle of comments on the same topic from lots of different people, then I decide to write a column about it so that I can share my experiences with the greater public. This week, I'd like to share three amazing chocolate mousse recipes, all of which are relatively simple to prepare. The best way to make sure your chocolate mousse comes out as tasty as possible is by reading through all the instructions before beginning to prepare the cake. The first recipe is an extremely rich, no-bake chocolate mousse. I love preparing this cake for special occasions, such as holidays or birthdays. It's very simple to prepare and although it is quite high in calories, every bite is worth it. The second recipe is a white chocolate and yogurt mousse. This cake is perfect for people who love the sour taste of yogurt mixed with white chocolate, tehina and silan. The third recipe is an impressive three-flavor mousse. The base is made from chocolate, the middle is a rich mousse, and the top whipped cream. Taking a bite with all three flavors is just heavenly. Have a sweet weekend! NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE When I'm in a hurry, I use a prepared, storebought chocolate torte base or crumble chocolate petit-beurre biscuits. If I have time, I like to prepare a base using nuts a day ahead of time, as I've written below. Base 1½ cups nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), roasted 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, sifted ¼ cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp. honey or silan (date syrup) 80 gr. butter, melted 1 tsp. brandy Mousse 450 gr. bittersweet chocolate, broken into squares 4 heaping Tbsp. cocoa powder, sifted 4 Tbsp. water or chocolate liqueur ½ cup coffee (prepared from ½ tsp. instant coffee and water) 3 containers (750 gr.) of sweet whipping cream 3 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. orange liqueur 1 tsp. orange zest Top layer Cocoa powder, sifted Whole hazelnuts Chocolate swirls or other decorations To prepare the base, place all the ingredients in a food processor and process for a few minutes until mixed well. Line bottom of pan and press down firmly. Store in fridge for 35 minutes. To prepare mousse layer, put bowl over a bain marie. Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, water or liqueur, and coffee. Stir over a low flame until completely dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream and then gradually add sugar. Keep whipping until blended. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate one-third at a time and mix gently. Add the orange liqueur and orange zest. Mix gently. Pour the mousse over the base and flatten. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and then put aluminum foil on top of that. Store in fridge overnight. Before serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder and add nuts and chocolate swirls. TIPascale Before serving, dip a knife in hot water and then slide the knife all around edge of cake to release it from the sides. Also, use a hot knife to cut slices. WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH YOGURT White chocolate mousse 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 200 gr. white chocolate, melted ¼ cup milk ½ packet (7 gr.) gelatin 1 container (250 gr.) sweet whipping cream 3 Tbsp. sugar Base 1 package of ladyfingers cookies or a thin ready-made cake base ½ cup milk Yogurt layer ¼ cup milk ½ packet (7 gr.) gelatin 1 container (250 gr.) sweet whipping cream 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 container (150 gr.) yogurt Toppings 2 Tbsp. silan 2 Tbsp. raw tehina Decorations ¼ cup white chocolate swirls ¼ cup bittersweet chocolate swirls ½ container sweet whipping cream, whipped with 1 Tbsp. sugar To prepare mousse, whip egg and egg yolk with a small whisk until they're light and fluffy and then swiftly add to melted chocolate. Dissolve the gelatin in milk over a bain marie. While stirring, add the dissolved gelatin into the white chocolate. Whip cream with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and mix again. Gradually add the cream to the chocolate. To prepare the base, dip the ladyfingers in milk and then line the pan with them. Spread the chocolate mousse on top of them. Cover the tray tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for two to three hours until the cake sets. To prepare the yogurt filling, melt the gelatin in the milk in a small pot over a bain marie. Whip the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold the melted gelatin and yogurt gradually into the cream and mix gently. Pour the yogurt over the chocolate mousse and flatten. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for two to three hours until the cake sets. In a bowl, mix silan and tahini together and then drizzle on top of cake. Add chocolate swirls. Put the whipped cream into an icing bag with star nozzle attached and squeeze out icing along the edges of the cake. Store in the fridge until serving. TIPascale Cream cakes always taste better after resting in the fridge for a day. THREE-FLAVOR MOUSSE Bottom layer 125 gr. bittersweet chocolate, broken into squares 125 gr. butter, cut into cubes ½ cup white sugar ¼ cup brown sugar 2 drops vanilla extract 1 tsp. chocolate liqueur 2 large eggs 1¼ cups flour, sifted ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup walnuts, pecans or sugared pecans, chopped coarsely Chocolate mousse middle layer 180 gr. bittersweet chocolate, broken into cubes 100 gr. butter, softened 4 eggs 5 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. brandy 1 tsp. cocoa powder, dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water 1 tsp. vanilla extract Topping 1 container (250 gr.) sweet whipping cream 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar 1 packet vanilla sugar Decoration 1-2 tsp. instant coffee or cocoa powder, sifted Some blueberries or crushed candied nuts To prepare base, melt chocolate with the butter, white sugar and brown sugar in the microwave, or over a bain marie. Keep mixing until all ingredients are dissolved well. Remove from the flame or take out of the microwave and mix well. While stirring quickly, add the vanilla, chocolate liqueur and eggs (one at a time). Mix until smooth. Gradually fold in flour, salt and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a baking pan and flatten. Bake in an oven that was preheated to 180º for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. Let cool. To prepare mousse, melt chocolate and butter in a pot over a bain marie. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar for seven minutes until light and fluffy. Add the brandy, cocoa powder in water and vanilla. Fold in the melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Pour mousse on top of cake base and flatten. Cover with aluminum foil and store in fridge for three to four hours until cake has set. To prepare the topping, whip the cream with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread the cream on top of the mousse. Store in fridge until serving. Before serving, sprinkle with instant coffee or cocoa powder if desired. Translated by Hannah Hochner.
