This is an impressive dessert which is easy to make and fairly quick too – especially for chocolate lovers – with a light-as-a-feather two chocolate mousse in a delicious crispy, dark chocolate cup.

It is a nice ending to a summer meal or a special occasion – you can choose to add the fruits or not, or even use substitute them for fruits in season – always ensuring that they marry well with this dessert, which is very rich in chocolate.

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Level: Easy

Preparation Time: about an hour

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Makes 6 cups

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For the Cups:

180g good dark chocolate

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For the White Chocolate Mousse:

100ml whipping cream or double cream (only full fat as this will whip up into stiff peaks)

6 medium egg whites

300g good white chocolate

1 pinch of salt.

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For the Milk Chocolate Mousse:

100ml whipping cream or double cream (only full fat as this will whip up into stiff peaks)

6 medium egg whites

300g good Milk chocolate

1 pinch of salt.

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For the bases:

4 slices of Pain d’épices (ginger bread)

1 medium egg

3 tablespoons of Rum or Cognac

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cream (double or single)

100g unsalted butter

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1 tin of cherries in their juice (if possible – if in syrup, drain them first)

2 tablespoons Kirsch or Cherry Brandy

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Directions:

Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie or in a microwave on defrost – be careful not to heat it too much or it will go hard and lumpy and may burn.

Take a silicon muffin mould and paint the sides of the moulds with a pastry brush dipped into the cooled but still liquid dark chocolate – do not paint the bottoms of the moulds which should be left open.


Put the mould into the freezer for 5 minutes, remove and paint again – repeat this until you have painted 3 or four coats onto the sides of the moulds then return to the freezer to harden until ready to assemble the dessert.


Chocolate mousses:

Both are virtually identical so just repeat the following steps:

Start with either the white chocolate and repeat the steps for the milk chocolate.

Melt the chocolate gently in a microwave or in a bain-marie (saucepan inside a saucepan of hot water) until it becomes smooth and liquid – be careful with the white chocolate as it can easily get lumpy or burn, so stirring continuously is essential – you may also have to add a tablespoon of water to ensure that it remains smooth – leave to cool down, but keep stirring so it does not start setting.

Ensure that both the bowl and the cream are well chilled in the fridge before beginning – this will ensure that you are able to whip the cream to a stiff mixture – if the utensils and the cream are at room temperature the result will not be as easy, nor as good.

Beat the egg whites until stiff adding a pinch of salt – be careful not to over-beat the whites as they will turn watery and you will have to start again.

Whisk the cream until it is very firm.

Add the cooled, melted chocolate to the cream – turning with a metal spoon from bottom to top to fold the mixture together without expelling the air from the cream, then slowly and carefully fold in the beaten egg whites – return the white and milk chocolate mousses to the fridge to keep cool.

Cherries:

Drain the cherries, then pat dry with kitchen paper, put in a bowl to marinated in the Kirsch or Cherry Brandy for as long a s you can.

Bases:

Beat the egg well with the rum or Cognac, add the sugar and a tablespoon of cream – beat until the mix is blended.

Using a pastry cutter – cut four rounds out of the gingerbread (you can also use brioche if you prefer), roll gently to compress them slightly with a rolling-pin – dip them on both sides into the egg mix then leave for 5 minutes.


Melt the butter gently in a small frying pan, then gently fry the rounds of pain d’épices or brioche, turning when golden brown – remove from the pan and drain the excess butter on kitchen paper.


Assembling the dessert:


Carefully remove the chocolate cups from the muffin moulds being careful not to break them – place them on a serving plate.

Place each cup on top of the cooled rounds of pain d’épices or brioche, fill the cups to 3 or 4cm with the milk chocolate mouse, roughly sieve the cherries, without removing all of the alcohol, then add a layer of cherries to each cup, top up with milk chocolate mousse to half-way then finish with the white chocolate mousse, decorate with cherries and grated chocolate.


Leave the finished cups in the fridge for at least 6 hours then serve accompaned by a Blaquette de Limoux, a gaillac pétillate or a champagne brut.

Bon Appétit!

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