This post will be short and sweet. We are experiencing a heat wave on Vancouver Island and I don't function well when it's too hot. Our meals have been salads, sandwichs, take-out pizzas and smoothies. But yesterday I wanted to treat myself to something cold and chocolatey.
I wanted to make another recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and decided to try the Chocolate Mousse (Mousseline au chocolat). This mousse needs some time to prepare but it is so worth it. This mousse is one of the best I have ever made, it's decadent, creamy, chocolatey. Julia Child's recipe is made with semi-sweet chocolate but I think you should buy the best dark chocolate you can find. I also had Herbal Chai Tea very dark chocolate in the pantry and did use some of it. It gives such an interesting taste to the mousse. This is the perfect dessert for entertaining because you can make it a couple of days ahead. There is even Grand Marnier in the recipe. If you want to make this mousse for kids you'll have to replace the Grand Marnier with orange juice.
If you are planning to buy the book here is what I think. I had made two recipes out of Julia's book and they are really good. I enjoy reading the book, the instructions are clear and if you follow the recipes to a T, you'll have success with them. But they are time consuming. You always need to plan well and in advance. I don't know how people can cook from this book, a full meal, in one evening. I would have to start early, in the morning, to make sure my Dinner is ready on time.
Please visit David's blog for recipe:
David Lebovitz
Visit La Fuji Mama that made the chocolate mousse last week:La Fuji Mama
This week Gratinée prepared:
Steak au Poivre (Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce)
La Fuji Mama prepared:
Concombres au beurre (Baked Cucumbers)
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies prepared:
Suprêmes de Volaille à brun (Chicken Breasts Sautéed in Butter)
66 comments:
Very ambitious in this heat wave Helene. I had to go out and get more propane since I have overused the BBQ to prevent heating up the house.
mmmmmmmm this is one of my favorite desserts! I bet this is cooling you down nicely :) Enjoy your weekend
Wow that looks perfect! Something that I have been looking for ages! Thanks for sharing! Bookmarked :)
This is intensely chocolate. No way around it. What a treat on a hot day.
Mmmhhh, it looks heavenly!
Cheers,
Rosa
This looks so rich and decadent. Right up my alley. I'll top mine with a floater and some more freshly whipped cream.
That mousse looks so decadent and just delightful! I bet the Herbal Chai Tea chocolate really enhanced the taste!
Oh my, this looks heavenly. I desperately need to acquire this book. I hope you manage to stay cool - I know I'll be doing lots of swimming!
Ah I heard you were enjoying the heat over in Vancouver... It's sure to come soon on this side of Canada. ;-)
Chocolate is good in any weather, isn't it though! I'll have to see the new Julia Child movie and try her chocolate mousse recipe; thank you for the inspiration!
Mmm! That looks fabulous!
Definitely some of the best mousse I've ever had too! Worth every minute of work. I hope it cools down a bit for you!!
Holy cow that looks fabulous! I esp loved that you added Herbal Chai Tea very dark chocolate into it! HOw intense!
if it tastes even half as good as it looks, well, in a word... wow =)
This is the chocolate mousse that some bloggers were willing to trade for and I gate-crashed for!
I'm glad I did. :)
I saw on twitter that you were going to blog about this :) It looks wonderful and I love your addition of the chai with the chocolate!
Beautiful job, Helene. Been following your tweets and enjoying the journey!
It's way too hot, isn't it?
Oh scrumptious! Lucky I have that book too, thanks for the reminder.
This looks delicious and amazing; I want to try to make it soon, too. Such pretty photos, H.
Your pictures of mousse look fabulous!
omg the heat... i never knew van. could get so hot! your mousse is perfect even in the heat though
I love chocolate mousse and yours looks fabulous. What a great way to celebrate a heat wave.
I agree that Mastering the Art recipes are time consuming but boy do you learn a lot. She covers everything that could possibly go wrong with a recipe. It was one of my first cookbooks and I used it a lot, along with another of her books, The French Chef. I probably have six books of Julia's. Just think if it hadn't been for Julia, we might not have things like the Food Network (or before it the PBS cooking series).
Hope it cools off up there soon.
Sam
How beautifully styled your photos are with that gorgeous spoon...a perfect foil for that chocolate mousse! It looks perfectly executed, and I will assume at this point, there is none left, indicating that as well. I could not participate this week, due to being out of town with the swimmer at a meet for five days and not getting organized enough to get all the baking/cooking done before I left, but I will be back next week. And, wait until you see how I chose my recipes for the next four (maybe five) weeks! Something very special for me...I will blog it next week with my recipe. Hope it cools down for you there!
Little pots of goodness! Looks extremely rich and delicious.
mmmm... looks so yummy... :D
Your mousse looks so delicious! That sounds like an interesting challenge: a full meal from Mastering the Art. Some day!
It looks delicous. Your photos are fantastic.
une vraie tuerie !
Gorgeous mousse!
I agree, lots of steps and lots of dishes, but I am used to that with classic French cooking.
Working with Le Cordon Bleu at Home with Shari, we had lots of dishes!
Beautiful photos, Helene.
That looks very decadent and rich! I love your pictures!
Chocolate mousse is a favorite dessert. That chai twist sound interesting.
Helene,
This looks delicious - I love anything chocolate and especially moussee. The little jars are adorable as well .....
The new blog look is fantastic - keep up the great job
Gorgeous blog and wonderful photos. You capture chocolate beautifully!
That chocolate mousse looks deadly. Deadly good, that is! Perfect for a hot Summer's day, .. or in my case, a cold Winter's day, because I could certainly go for some of that right now :D
Julia Child's job was to cook something wonderful. So if she worked at it like a regular day job it should take half a day, right. Meanwhile, some of us come home and try to figure out how to cook something decent in an hour. I think though, that it makes us a little better to take the time to do some complicated things too. This looks delicious.
What a rich and decadent chocolate dessert - it looks absolutely fabulous!
That looks sinfully delicious! So rich and thick. What a treat!
Gorgeous!! I just want to grab that spoon and dig right in. I love how vivid the pictures are.
Lovely recipe. I particularly love the last pic, it's so adorable
Gorgeous and I think the idea of using fine quality dark chocolate is perfect.
The mousse looks amazing! I've been going through this book and have already learned a few things. I remember reading somewhere about several recipes being pages and pages long. My book isn't like that. i'm wondering if I ended up with a different version or something? Some of them are long, but not horribly long. ?
this is a heavenly dish, and it's presented in a completely fabulous way! i love the little jars...and the fact that they contain purely decadent chocolate. :)
That looks soooooo incredibly chocolatey!
I remember my mom using Julia's cookbooks growing up...I loved watching Julia on tv and though her recipes are long and complicated...like you said...they do turn out perfection!
yummy... I made a chocolate mousse once but it was the vegan version :)
So delicious and rich! Sounds like you're also experiencing the heatwave we're getting in the Seattle area, and I think you've found the perfect cure for the sun being in overdrive!
That looks marvelous. I'm headed to my pantry for a 2am chocolate snack as soon as I post this comment.
Decadent, love them in those little jars.
An oldie but a goodie...and yes, unless you had an entire day to devote to cooking several days worth of planning would most certainly be in order!
Helene,
Looks sooooo yummy. I've never made a mousse before. I would love to try it one day.
Those chocolate pots look good! Great photos!
The heat wave is hitting California too and I feel very reluctant to make anything sweet these days. You are very brave:)Your mousse looks sooo delicious. I will try the recipe one day when the weather is cooler. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Oh wow!!!!! Your new blog is just gorgeous!!! Congratulations and you've done such an amazing job here.
Your photographs are stunning, as always and your recipes are marvelous as well.
big hugs to you Helene!
love,
diane and todd
Mmmmh... So beautiful! Your pictures are mouth watering!
Cheers,
Miette.
Mmmmh... So beautiful! Your pictures are mouth watering!
Cheers,
Miette.
That is heaven in a bowl for me. Just pure chocolate, the way I like it. I hope you are getting the cooler air that we are, it feels so fabulous!
No matter the temperature or time of year, it's hard to resist anything chocolate. And these photos...so lovely and calming.
I'm with you when it comes to the heat... can't really take much of it. I've been sorry to hear you've been hit with SO MUCH of it this year. Hopefully it will pass soon!
That said, chocolate is a welcome addition to my plate ANY TIME. Hot or cold. Windy or still. Pass some this way, if you will :)
Simply amazing! I love the professional look your blog and pictures are taking. Great work :D
Beautiful photos!! This chocolate pot looks soooo good!! well done!!
It's just gorgeous Helene. I have my face splat against the screen. What a beautiful mousse indeed, rich & indulgent. The pictures are temtping & torturous! ♥ the serving glasses & spoons too.
Love that book so much! Yeah everything in the book takes time but is well worth it.
It's as if S. Ontario summer switched for BC summer. I'm not complaining, but I do feel for you.
Love the mousseline.
j
Beautiful photos! This mousse looks so yummy. Perfect indulgence for the hot weather. I'm so happy it's cooled down now! Hopefully it's cooler on the island too.
Perfect chocolate mousse! Looks so dark and rich.
yummy yumm!! perfect summer time dessert :) love the pics!
cheers!!
Love the presentation, this looks absolutely divine.
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