Just this weekend I got into the sweets mood and prepped a beautiful dessert for a group of family and friends. Now, there are plenty of reasons Y, I cannot indulge on this one, but I always love to see the smiles it puts on those I love, when they take bites of the delicacies I make in the kitchen.

Inspired by a friend’s recipe, I took off running and made these incredible little individual Rustic Orange Dark Chocolate Mousse Cups that were a hit upon first bite. The feedback was that the Mousse was smooth and creamy, just rich enough and not overbearingly sweet! They say the Rustic Whipped Cream was a perfect accompaniment because it was sweet and not running and melty, but more like a cold iced cream… and the sprinkle of Dark Chocolate shavings atop were the cherry on top, because it just finished off the dessert with just the right melt in your mouth texture.

Best advice for making this recipe, make sure you give the Mousse and Whipped Cream enough time to set and cool in the fridge… I gave my Mousse 24 hours in the fridge and I could tell there was a huge difference in its texture, because of it!

If you are wondering Y I called it ‘Rustic’… Because it’s not perfect, nothing ever is perfect at home and that is what makes it special. It wasn’t made by a machine and we should embrace and love that… Someone actually sat there to fold the Mousse into a version of perfection, your version of perfection and that makes it even more special than anything you could pre-order from a bakery!

Rustic Orange Chocolate Mousse…

Market List…

8 Oz. Dark Chocolate (broken into small 2 in. pieces)
1 Oz. Dark Chocolate Shaven for Topping
8 Oz. Cream Cheese @ Room Temperature
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)
1 Orange Zested
2 Cup Whipping Cream
3 Tbsp. Confectioners Sugar
1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Step By Step…

In a double boiler (a heat proof glass bowl, place over a small pot of boiling water) Melt the 8 Oz. of Dark Chocolate, folding often to prevent sticking.
In a Mixing Bowl, Beat… Cream Cheese, Chocolate, Sugar, Cointreau Liqueur and Orange Zest until it appears fluffy… almost like Chocolate Cake Batter!
In a separate Mixing Bowl, whip up 1 Cup of the Whipping Cream, until it forms soft peaks
Gently Fold the Whipped Cream into the Chocolate Cream Cheese Batter, in 2 -3 batches.

Voilà… Now pour your Mousse into ramekins for serving and refrigerate for anywhere between 4 – 24 hours!

Rustic Whipped Cream For Topping…

In a Mixing Bowl, combine: 1 Cup Whipping Cream, 3 Tbsp. Confectioners Sugar and 1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract…
Whip with an Electric Mixer past the point of Soft Peaks, until the Cream begins to Whip into a firm hold.
Place in Refrigerator for 4 – 24 hours along with Mousse!

Shave 1 Oz. of Dark Chocolate with a Zester or Grater and Sprinkle atop Whipped Cream and Mousse upon serving!

If you are feeling really festive feel free to finish garnishing with a small piece of a Sugar Coasted Orange!

Bon Appétit!

XOX, L.