The Mousse That Roared

Few desserts are as satisfying as a luscious mousse made of fine chocolate. And few are as easy.

But there’s a catch: The traditional method of making chocolate mousse--adding egg yolks to melted chocolate, then folding in beaten egg whites--is considered risky by the United States Department of Agriculture. Until the egg supply can be made completely safe from salmonella, the government advises people to avoid raw eggs.

Still, I’m not ready to give up the dessert I love. I decided to adapt my chocolate mousse recipes to fit government guidelines. The USDA recommends that eggs be heated to 160 degrees. On a recent trip to Paris, I discussed the problem with Denis Ruffel, a top pastry chef and author. I thought he would say that we Americans are overly cautious. I was wrong. He says he never makes desserts with uncooked eggs. In fact, he has his patisserie’s desserts regularly analyzed at a laboratory to be certain they are absolutely safe.

So I went into the kitchen, experimented and arrived at two simple solutions. The first is to heat the egg yolks using the sabayon technique. In this method, the yolks are whisked with sugar and liquid in a bowl set in a pan of nearly simmering water. When the mixture reaches the proper temperature, it is removed from the water and whisked briefly to cool. Although this adds one step to the usual procedure for chocolate mousse, it is still a quick dessert.

There are two things to consider when using the sabayon method. First, you need a thermometer, either an instant-read or a candy thermometer. Second, you must whisk the mixture continuously and check its temperature carefully, or the yolks will rapidly change from smooth to scrambled.

In this new type of mousse, the egg whites are omitted. Chefs sometimes use them in mousse by making Italian meringue, in which boiling syrup at the soft-ball stage is beaten into whipped whites, but this adds a lot of sugar to the mousse and is complicated for quick home cooking. Instead of egg whites, the updated method uses whipped cream to lighten the mousse’s texture.

The second solution is even easier and faster than the original recipe: You simply omit the eggs and enrich the mousse with whipped cream, as in Creamy Chocolate Mousse With Grand Marnier.

I’m now using these new techniques to make mousses from dark, white and milk chocolates. They make fabulous fillings for cakes and charlottes and can be frozen as molded desserts, as with the Frozen Chocolate Mousse “Cupcakes,” which resemble a luxurious version of ice cream. All the mousses are incredibly rich and should be served in small portions--a little goes a long way.

Cream is not used in classic recipes for chocolate mousse, but it contributes richness and a velvety texture to this one. If you like, accompany the mousse with crisp, delicate cookies.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE SUPREME

8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons brandy or Cognac

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups whipping cream, well chilled

Combine chocolate, brandy and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl and set over nearly simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from water. Stir in butter until blended. Let cool.

Whisk egg yolks with sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons water in small metal bowl. Set bowl in pan of nearly simmering water. Heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 160 degrees on instant-read or candy thermometer, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from water and whisk until cool. Stir into chocolate mixture.

Whip cream in large, chilled bowl until nearly stiff. Gently fold into chocolate mixture. Divide mousse among 6 or 7 small ramekins or dessert glasses. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Makes 6 to 7 servings.

Freshly grated orange zest and Grand Marnier complement the chocolate in this rich, easy-to-make mousse. If you like, garnish individual servings with a little whipped cream and orange segments or berries.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH GRAND MARNIER

7 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups whipping cream, well chilled

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Melt chocolate and 1/2 cup whipping cream in medium bowl set over nearly simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from water and cool 3 minutes. Whip remaining 1 cup cream with sugar in large chilled bowl until nearly stiff.

Stir Grand Marnier and orange zest into chocolate mixture. Fold in about 1/4 of whipped cream until blended. Spoon mixture over remaining whipped cream and fold gently just until blended. Divide among 5 or 6 small dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

This raisin-studded mousse is prepared in paper baking cups and is extremely easy to unmold -- just peel off the paper. You can keep the “cupcakes” in the freezer and take them out as needed for an instant dessert.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE “CUPCAKES”

1/4 cup dark raisins

2 tablespoons brandy or water

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

5 tablespoons water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

2/3 cup whipping cream, well chilled

Combine raisins and brandy in small jar. Cover tightly and shake to mix. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Melt chocolate in medium bowl set over nearly simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from water and let cool. Set 9 paper baking cups in muffin pans.

Whisk egg yolks with powdered sugar and water in small metal bowl. Set bowl in pan of nearly simmering water. Heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 160 degrees on instant-read or candy thermometer, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from water and whisk until cool.

Cream butter until smooth in medium bowl. Beat in yolk mixture in 2 batches, then chocolate in 2 batches. Stir in soaked raisins and their liquid.

Whip cream in chilled medium bowl until stiff. Fold cream in 3 batches into chocolate mixture. Spoon about 1/3 cup mousse into each baking cup. Tap pan to even surfaces. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

To serve, turn cupcakes over onto small plates and peel off papers. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly. Makes 9 servings.