fill me up, scotty! the next generation.

(originally from may 3rd 2011.)

chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse. 

continuing with the earlier theme, last night’s dessert also featured a filling component. 

it began by constructing an apparatus to fill.  

now, since the dawn of time, man has used receptacles to hold his food instead of leaving it on the ground. today, these receptables are called plates, bowls, etc and come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. however, a marvelous innovation has come about in recent years: the edible serving container.

tim hortons has bread bowls. carlo’s bakery has chocolate cookie boxes. and theresa cesareo has chocolate cups. 

here’s how you make them:

melt a cup of chocolate and one tablespoon of vegetable oil in the microwave. do this in 30 second intervals and stir in between or else you’ll set your home ablaze. okay, maybe not. but you might burn it and stink up the place.

next, let the chocolate cool for 3 minutes. 

then, blow up a balloon, just enough so that it’s firm and keeps its shape. spray it with a bit of pam then dip the balloon halfway into the chocolate. 

side note: the balloons must say happy birthday. any other variation of balloon will ruin the recipe.

let some of the excess chocolate run off and then repeat. do this about 3 or 4 times, trying to keep the chocolate line even each time. 

next, drop a spoonful of chocolate on a sheet of wax paper. arrange the dollop in a circle - this is the base of your cup. 

rest the dipped balloon on the chocolate circle on the wax paper. you’ll want to hold it in place for a few seconds so it doesn’t fall over. they not only look like humpty dumpty, they can also behave like him. 

freeze these for about 20 minutes. 

next, take them out of the freezer and pop the balloons.

using your fingers and the wrong end of a spoon, pry the balloon away from the chocolate. you’ll need to do this carefully and you’ll have to be patient, speedy gonzales. otherwise, the chocolate will break and you’ll just have to eat it. oh, cruel world!

next, we need a filling.

set up 3 large bowls. 

bowl 1

• melt 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
• let cool for 2 minutes
• add 3 egg yolks (one at a time) to this mixture
• beat it, mj. 
• set aside.

bowl 2

• beat 3 egg whites like a redheaded stepchild until foamy
• add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, mix.
• gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar.
• beat it again, mj, until stiff peaks form. it should look like meringue from lemon meringue pie. 
• dance merengue. 
• set aside.

bowl 3

• beat 1/2 cup of heavy cream until it begins to get thick.
• add 2 tablespoons of sugar, mix.
• add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• beat it, just beat it, until soft peaks form. 

please note: the use of an electric mixer is highly recommended. should you decide to mix manually, you may forfeit the use of your arm in the subsequent days. also, if this should this tragedy befall you, please notify me. i can offer you no cure or assistance, but i will call you noodle arm for my own enjoyment :)

combine bowls 1 and 2, folding it together gently - mousse is supposed to be airy. 

then, fold that into bowl 3. 

if you find this doesn’t have enough of a chocolatey taste, add a few tablespoons of cocoa. we found this necessary. 

THE END!

either spoon the mousse into the cups or pipe it, like so:

stick these back in the fridge for a few hours. unless you can’t wait, in which case, wait anyway. it’s better once it has set for a little while. i swear, by the moon and the stars and the sky. 

garnish with chocolate shavings or whipped cream and enjoy!

the reviews:

my father is lactose intolerant and merely being in the same house as this recipe nearly resulted in his untimely demise. we did not force him to taste it.

mama bear - “this was great! much more pleasant than eating an actual moose.” i repeat: oh lizard, you slay me. 

marie bilius ryan - “i like chocolate.” once again, short and sweet - but since this recipe contained almost lethal amounts of chocolate, i have decided to interpret this as a term of endearment. 

i’ve never made chocolate mousse before and i haven’t eaten it often, but i have come to the realization that i have been missing out. it tastes pretty much like chocolate whipped cream, and there ain’t no problems with dat, yo. also, being able to eat the cup was fantastic. it makes you feel invincible. oh yeah, that bowl? just crushed it with my teeth and swallowed it. awesome. 

well, that’s what’s was cooking at home last night! 

thanks for reading :)

p.s. for anyone interested in making the recipes from last night, here are links to the original recipes:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/shepherds-pie-stuffed-potatoes/

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Mousse-107437