Love and Olive Oil

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse with Red Currants

Can we start posting decadent desserts again?

Not that it stopped me before, but it seems like there is about a 25 day period in the food blogosphere where every recipe is kale or quinoa or chia something.

And then about 3 weeks into January, the healthy recipes slowly start to disappear, replaced with the super bowl snacks and Valentine’s day desserts. Apparently our willpower has a 25-day statute of limitations. Your seemingly strong resolutions are no match for cheese dip and chocolate mousse.

And there’s no shame in that. I’ve never been one for resolutions anyway, preferring to allow myself to indulge in moderation. For as soon as I tell myself I CAN’T have something, that’s all I’m going to think about until I cave in.

So for me, making a batch of incredibly decadent (and I mean, whoa) chocolate mousse on a Monday afternoon isn’t breaking any rules, in fact, I think it should be encouraged. Allow yourself something sweet, something decadent every now and then, and you’ll be a happier person for it.

Decadent Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse

And let me just say, if you’re going to indulge, this is the ultimate way to do it. It’s a true chocolate mousse, meaning, yes, raw eggs, but you’re not going to be able to replicate the heavenly texture any other way. If that makes you squeamish, seek out whole pasteurized eggs and you’re good to go.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse with Red Currants

This recipe is slightly trickier than a standard chocolate mousse, as it involves first making a dry caramel (meaning the sugar is melted over heat without any added water).

Dry caramel scares me. I much prefer the wet method (where the sugar is cooked with a bit of water), but I trust David and so followed his method to a T. Yes, it’s scary, but just keep your eye on it and you’ll be fine.

And let me say the results are WELL worth it.

I’m talking a mousse so rich and decadent, yet light and airy at the same time. Sweet and slightly salty, with rich undertones of nutty burnt caramel that plays off the floral chocolate perfectly.

It is quite possibly the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever had.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse

We chose to serve these in wine glasses (or, excuse me, BEER glasses) for an extra romantic touch, but you can use ramekins or glass jars or even dainty teacups. The mousse will have cooled to room temperature by the time you portion it into serving dishes, so the containers do not have to be heat proof. Meaning glass, porcelain, ceramic… anything goes.

You could also put the mousse in one large serving bowl or a dish, for more of a family-style presentation.

I topped ours with chocolate shards and pretty red currants. The touch of tartness is the perfect way to cut the richness of the mousse. Why currants? Well, Whole Foods had them and I’d never seen them for sale here before. So I did what most food bloggers in my situation would do: I bought a few containers without any specific plans. You could also use raspberries if you can’t get your hands on currants.

And hey, don’t be afraid to indulge every now and then. You deserve it!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted), cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 4 large eggs*, separated
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • red currants or raspberries, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Spread the sugar evenly over the bottom of a wide saucepan and set over medium heat. As it begins to liquefy at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently drag the liquefied sugar toward the center. Watch carefully, as once the edges start to darken, the sugar is in danger of burning. Continue to cook, stirring very gently, until all the sugar is melted and begins to caramelize.

  2. When the caramel is a deep amber color and smell just slightly burnt, remove from heat and quickly whisk the butter cubes, whisking until melted. Slowly whisk in the cream until smooth and no bits of hardened caramel remain (be sure you scrape the edges of the pan to incorporate any stubborn bits). Add the chopped chocolate and gently stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature (about 15 to 20 minutes).

  3. When chocolate mixture is no longer warm to the touch, whisk in the egg yolks until smooth.

  4. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, fold one-third of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it along with flaky sea salt. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated (do not overmix). Divide among serving glasses and chill for at least 8 hours until set. Serve with fresh berries if desired.

*This recipe contains raw/uncooked eggs. We always recommend seeking out fresh, local eggs from a trusted source. However, you can also purchase whole pasteurized eggs if you’re worried.

Recipe from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz (via Epicurious).

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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35 Comments

  1. I was looked for a salted caramel mouse but all the recipes seem to add chocolate. Do you think I could just leave the chocolate out?  I want to use this as a filling for a chocolate cake and want the distinct caramel flavor to complement the cake. 

  2. Omg! Looks so so delicious and pretty. I would love to enjoy this after meal!. 

  3. I think we should henceforth refer to this period as the dark days and just hibernate until it’s over. Chocolate forever!

  4. Oh. my. yum!!  I’ve never made a mousse before but I think I’m going to have to start.  Pinning!

  5. Oh my freaking god, salted caramel? Sooooo delicious! It’s still long until beach 2015, right?! :D

    /F

  6. I will definitely have to recreate this recipe — right down to the glasses they’re served in. Where can I find those?? They’re fab!

  7. Have I already mentioned how much I’m digging these goblets/glasses? (When is a glass a goblet?) It’s pretty hard. The digging, that is. Super pretty. And mousse, of course, just yesss. :)

  8. I think I just had an out of body experience!!

    These look AMAZING! *dribbles* I… no words. I have to make these!

    xox

  9. um yum!! adding this to my to do list over this winter. I love anything salted caramel and this looks and sounds delectable! thanks for the recipe it’s being pinned for later! xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com

  10. Love the dark brown against that beautiful cobalt blue! The pictures are sending me to heaven, I wonder what tasting it would be like! Amazing!

  11. First word out of my mouth when I loaded the page: “WHOA!” The colors you used for this are fantastic. All your photography is phenomenal — dare I say it improves with every single post?

    I’ve followed you since your Frosted Funfetti Layer Cake. Your well-crafted presentation had me hooked! One of my goals for 2015 is to cook from scratch on a regular basis, so perhaps one of these days I’ll try my hand at one of your fancy recipes.

  12. Yum!! This looks absolutely delicious, all of my favorite things combined!  Also, where did you get those fun wine glasses?

  13. HEAVEN on earth. I mean, heaven in a wine (beer?) glass. ;) Those glasses are beer glasses? Whatever they are, they’re gorgeous. Love the presentation and pretty chocolate shards.

  14. I didn’t last 25 days. This looks amazing. I would be licking my fingers the whole time. 

  15. How gorgeous are those glasses! And how decadent is this desseert! Yummmm

  16. Whatever the rest of the world is, no matter what the trend is, the answer to salted caramel anything is always YES.

  17. Ha I started posting indulgent desserts and pizza recipes long ago. I like to eat the treats and be happy. In moderation, of course. :) This mousse does look decadent. And dry caramel, eh? Will have to get my hands dirty with that.

  18. Holy heck, this looks amazing!  If I’m going to dive into dessert, it’s going to be because chocolate mousse is sitting in front of me.  This is something I need to make.

  19. That picture of the spoon with the gorgeous mousse-y texture in it… the best. I love this!

  20. You have to love a completely classic dessert like this! I haven’t had a real mousse in way too long. Must make! :)

  21. this looks amazing!!! 

  22. Yes! It’s almost February. Time to bring back the luscious eats!

  23. Yes, I agree! Decadent desserts – please! Everything in moderation, right?
    This mousse looks divine!
    (And who wants to see lettuce for a solid month anyway?)

  24. Oh I’m ready for some desserts. Between the Super Bowl and upcoming Valentine’s day, I think the blogosphere is finally coming up for air from all the healthy salads and smoothies. This looks heavenly!

  25. Wow! I absolutely LOVE your styling here! And the recipe too, of course ;)

  26. Obviously the quality of the chocolate makes a huge difference in this recipe. Which brand and type of chocolate do you tend to stick to?

  27. Ok, three things: 1) I LOVE those glasses and the styling of this recipe 2) This mousse sounds fantastic 3) Red currants are the bessssst. I love them so much! 

  28. I love those glasses and now I want dessert for breakfast. :)

  29. You can Lindsay – we’re officially past Jan healthy eating time and into valentines run up time! This looks SO good!

  30. LOVE those glasses!  

  31. Ah I have had my eye on that mousse in my Paris kitchen, and seeing it here is tempting me over the edge. I’m all about your romantic  serving style too—true love!

  32. No dieting here (trying to gaan weight actually ) , so no reason not to try this. I love chocolate mousse and I love caramel, that’s a match made in heavenly in this recipe!

  33. Chocolate mousse is such a decadent dessert and is always a crowd pleaser! Love your recipe!

  34. I’ve never been one for January diets. Talk to me in June when I’m trying to squeeze my butt into a swimsuit!! This mousse looks too fabulous!

  35. Mousse is seriously life. It is drop-dead amazing. And salted caramel makes everything better, thus amping this dessert up to be even more boss!
    P.S. I have never made any other type of caramel aside from dry caramel, but it is still a scary process!

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