Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau

One of my favorite French desserts has become chocolate mousse.  It’s light and airy, but oh so decadent.  When I was studying in Rennes, my host mother never made chocolate mousse.  She would buy the already pre-packaged type that came in little yogurt containers.  I thought it was good enough, but then, one day, I was lucky enough to taste a real homemade chocolate mousse and I haven’t touched a pre-made chocolate mousse since then.

I would like to say that I got this recipe from someones French grandmother who used to beat her egg whites with an old fashioned metal whisk.  The truth, however, is far less romantic sounding.  It came from the back of a chocolate bar! …or tablette de chocolat as they say around here.  I tried the recipe as it was printed and it was good, but not quite right.  It was missing something.  Then it came to me…alcohol!  Luckily I had some cointreau laying around (well, truth be told, I stole a little from my sister in exchange for a spoonful of mousse).  I changed a few more ingredients and… voilà! The result was heavenly.

Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau

Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces.  Set the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler and melt over low heat.  Set aside.

Separate the eggs.  With a mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form very stiff peaks.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they become thick and pale in color (this will take a few minutes).

Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolks and mix well.  Add the cointreau.  With a metal or wooden spoon, gently fold in the egg whites.  Transfer to a clean bowl and put immediately into the refrigerator.  Let the mousse rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

I like the mousse plain or with some fresh strawberries.  You can also serve it with whipped cream.