Chocolate mousse with Devon cream
An intense dark chocolate mousse, lightened and topped with thick Devon cream. The contrast between the bitterness of cocoa and the fatty sweetness of the cream: a delight she would never have refused.
An intense dark chocolate mousse, lightened and topped with thick Devon cream. The contrast between the bitterness of cocoa and the fatty sweetness of the cream: a delight she would never have refused.
I confess it: chocolate was the temptation of my life. When I was writing my plots, a bowl of this mousse at my side was worth all the muses in the world. We whisked the melted chocolate with the yolks, folded in the stiffly beaten whites — gently, otherwise it all collapses! — and on top, a spoonful of Devon cream, thick enough to hold the spoon upright. A novelist is entitled to poison herself with a little sweetness, is she not?
- •Dark chocolate — one bar (base)
- •Fresh eggs — a few (structure)
- •Caster sugar — a handful (sweetness)
- •Devon clotted cream — for topping (topping)
Chocolate mousse with Devon cream
An intense dark chocolate mousse, lightened and topped with thick Devon cream. The contrast between the bitterness of cocoa and the fatty sweetness of the cream: a delight she would never have refused.
Why this dish? Christie confessed a consuming passion for chocolate and fresh cream — it was her admitted guilty pleasure. This rich, creamy dessert embodies her most unabashed weakness.
I confess it: chocolate was the temptation of my life. When I was writing my plots, a bowl of this mousse at my side was worth all the muses in the world. We whisked the melted chocolate with the yolks, folded in the stiffly beaten whites — gently, otherwise it all collapses! — and on top, a spoonful of Devon cream, thick enough to hold the spoon upright. A novelist is entitled to poison herself with a little sweetness, is she not?
Ingredients (period version)
- Dark chocolate — one bar (base)
- Fresh eggs — a few (structure)
- Caster sugar — a handful (sweetness)
- Devon clotted cream — for topping (topping)
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate 70% — 200 g (base)
- Eggs — 4 (structure)
- Sugar — 40 g (sweetness)
- Butter — 30 g (binder)
- Clotted cream or thick double cream — 150 g (topping)
Method
- Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain-marie, leave to cool slightly.
- Incorporate the egg yolks one by one into the warm chocolate.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks with the sugar.
- Gently fold the whites into the chocolate in two batches, without deflating the mousse.
- Divide into cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve with a spoonful of thick cream.
How it was made : Chocolate mousses and creams entered refined English desserts from the late 19th century, as cocoa became affordable. The whites were beaten by hand with a birch whisk, requiring strong arms.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of sea salt and a few bitter chocolate shavings to wake up the richness.
Agatha Christie · Charactorium
