Chocolate Mousse

I invited my colleagues over to my place for dinner last night. So my domestic helper prepared a sumptuous dinner for us, including three cup chicken, fried bittergourd eggs, mixed vegetables, lotus root soup and oriental salad prepared by me. They enjoyed the dinner very much. I also prepared chocolate mousse for them, they loved it very much and complimented that it tasted just like those in restaurants! :) I was really happy. Before I could even try a cup, my three children finished the other three cups! No more chance.


Recipe for Chocolate Mousse, extracted from Daily Delicious.

Ingredients:
120g Ghiradeli Milk Chocolate
40g Ghiradeli 72% Dark Chocolate
40g Sugar
145g Eggs
170g Whipping Cream
2 tsp Dark rum
A dash of salt

Method:
1. Put the chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to boil. Remove from heat and place the bowl over the pan. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Add rum and stir to mix thoroughly.
2. Using electric beaters, beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is thick, pale and increased in volume.
3. Add the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, and use the electric beaters to mix thoroughly.
4. Beat the whipped cream till slightly thicken.
5. Gently fold in the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture.
6. Spoon into five dessert glasses and refrigerate till firm, at least 4 hours.
7. Serve with whipped cream and some toasted almond nibs.

Baked a pound cake for another friend again! Hahaha...how boring can I get?!?!

Chicken and Mousse

I really mean chicken and mousse, not mouse. That was my theme for today. I had already planned, at the beginning of the week, that on Saturday morning, I want to cook glutinous chicken rice 糯米鸡 aka Loh Mai Kai for lunch. This really needed to be pre-planned as rice and chicken pieces have to be bought way before. Even the rice need to be soaked overnight. Surfing through the sites much earlier, I found a simpler version of this, with step by step guide. Using her recipe, I made twice the amount. However, I think I might have added slightly more water, the rice was a bit sloggy, but really easy to chew and swallow. My hubby commented that it was a little on the plain side. As I took the rice with chilli, I can't really tell. :p Too much work for a simple food. Might not be worth to make it afterall!



I asked my elder sister yesterday what she would like for dessert today (after dinner at my parents' place). She said "chocolate..." After a few instant messaging exchanges, I told her I'll make chocolate mousse since she asked for it. Since I've not done chocolate mousse before, I figured I might as well give it a try since I still have my Ghirardelii baking chocolates. I've been eyeing a few chocolate mousse recipes, including this from David Lebovitz's site. After a few rounds, I decided on this recipe from Daily Delicious. This recipe doesn't use butters, and looks more healthy compared to the rest.

I doubled the recipe, and used a mix of 60% & 72% baking chocolates. As I was folding the melted chocolate into the beaten eggs, I can really smell the strong chocolate taste. So when I folded it into the whipping cream later, I can't help but to pinch from the side to taste! The smoothness and the cooling taste just lingers in my tongue...Yummilicious!!

I decorated them with light chantilly cream, topped with coffee bean chocolate and mint leaf. Doesn't it all looked more presentable now?



Recipe for Dark Chocolate Mousse, extracted from Daily Delicious Blog.
Makes approx 12 cups (about 2½" ramekins)

Ingredients:
240g Dark Chocolate, 50%-60% cocoa mass, chopped
80g Dark Chocolate, 72% cocoa mass, chopped
60g Sugar
6 whole eggs, about 270g
340g Whipping Cream (Original ask for 43% fat, mine is only 35%)
2 Tbsp Dark rum
A dash of salt

Method:
1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.

2. Remove from the heat and place the bowl over the pan, making sure it is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Leave to cool.

3. Using electric beaters, beat the eggs, salt and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is thick, pale and increased in volume. Transfer to a large bowl

4. Using a spatula, fold in the melted chocolate with the rum, leave the mixture to cool, then gently fold in the lightly whipped cream until just combined.

5. Spoon into the ramekins or dessert glasses..

6. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set, or overnight. Decorate with extra whipped cream and mint leaves. Sprinkle cocoa powder if desired.

Rain is falling...

Rain has been pouring since early morning on Christmas Eve. However, it has not dampened my mood to bring to my twins out for my dept's Christmas Eve breakfast buffet in town. I woke up early and excited about bringing the kids out. Their eldest brother was not, he has gone to stay with his maternal grandparents. So, it's twins & mummy bonding time!

Back in the afternoon, I baked some sardine buns to be brought over to my parents' place for my sisters. I also made some dessert & cheesecake last night. Dinner was chilli crab bought by my dad. Instead of turkey, we had chilli crabs. Quite an unusual way of dining for Christmas Eve! Anyway, have lots of fun during this festive season!

Mixed Fruits Mousse. Bottom layer is almond sponge cake, followed by blended mixed fruits with whipped creams topped with chocolate ganache.


New York Cheesecake from Allrecipe. This is the best NY Cheesecake I found. Decorated it with a dope of whipped cream & mini mandarin orange. This recipe is a keeper.


Sardine Buns. Used the usual sweet bun dough. Stuff them with sardines.



Recipe for New York Cheesecake from Allrecipe (with some modification)
Ingredients
10 digestive crackers, crushed (estimated)
20g butter, melted

450g cream cheese
150g white sugar
90g milk
2 eggs
115g greek yogurt
1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
15g plain flour

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 175C. Grease a 8" springform pan. (I usually lined my springform with aluminmum foils).
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
4. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate.
5. Mix in yogurt, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Bake in bain marie in the oven for 1 hour.
7. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking.
8. Chill in refrigerator until serving

Preparation of Passion Fruit Mousse Cake

This is the preparation of Passion Fruit Mousse Cake for my brother-in-law.

Using a sponge cake mix, I baked a vanilla cake.


This is Italian Meringue.

Heating up Passion Fruit puree with gelatin.

Folding in Italian Meringue into the Passion Fruit Puree.

This is the Passion Fruit Mousse.

Assembling the cake. Adding the mousse after each sponge cake layer.

This is the final addition. Ready to be frozen.

This is the Passion Fruit Mousse Cake for my brother-in-law, Jon.

This is the cross-section of the Passion Fruit Mousse Cake.