Friday, October 21, 2005

SHF #13: Dark Chocolate Yogurt Mousse


Kelli, of Lovescool, picked Dark Chocolate as the theme for this Anniversary edition of Sugar High Friday. Good choice, eh? She included a note telling people to try something new, since quite a few food bloggers have a weakness for the cocoa bean. But while I like to eat a nice bit of dark chocolate, I often prefer to use cocoa in my baked goods since I like the flavor and it couldn't be any easier to incorporate into any mix. So, the fact that I had little risk of repeating myself with this event gave me a lot of freedom. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything too boring.
I chose a recipe that I tried to adapt semi successfully before. Working with it again, I now know for certain that my big mistake was using too many egg whites. Yes, the difference between 7 ounces of egg white and 7 egg whites is a big one. This is good news because the mouse tasted great, it was just a bit liquidy at the bottom of the glass. For this SHF, I went back and made the original recipe for Chocolate Yogurt Mousse.
This adaptation of the recipe makes four servings, since I decided to halve the recipe. Because I used thick, greek-style yogurt, I didn't drain it first. If you can't get the greek yogurt, just drain plain, nonfat yogurt through a cheesecloth overnight in the fridge before making the mousse. It turned out to have a smooth and creamy consistency, but was very bittersweet. Not a dessert for everyone, but if you really like good bittersweet chocolate, you'll love this. I used Callebaut bittersweet and tasted every bit of it. Next time, I think I'll add a dash of almond and vanilla extracts (or a shot of amaretto) for fun.
If you're feeling decadent, top it with a bit of whipped cream. If it's not sweet enough for you, you can increase the sugar in the mousse by 1-2 tbsp.


Bittersweet Chocolate Yogurt Mousse
(courtesy of the CIA)
8-oz. plain, Greek-style yogurt (about 1 cup), room temperature
1 oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
3 tbsp sugar
2 egg whites


Fold melted chocolate into yogurt in a medium (glass, preferably) bowl. Fold in cocoa powder. Heat the mixture over a water bath or in the microwave for a few seconds until it is warm and smooth, eliminating any remaining bits of unmelted chocolate.
In a small sauce pan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Set a bowl containing sugar and egg whites over the simmering water and beat to soft peaks. Remove from heat and fold meringue (egg white mixture) into yogurt mixture. Divide evenly between 4 ramekins or small wine glasses. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, or until ready to serve.