Guilt-free chocolate mousse with boysenberry jelly

Fact: This chocolate mousse has no cream in it. 

I know right? Mind blowing.

There had been a lot of water cooler chatter about chocolate mousse recipes at work in the last little bit.  Debs had been trialling out chocolate mousse recipes for dinner parties and the lovely Shanti had recently made the Hervé This Chocolate and Water Mousse.  I had chocolate mousse on my brain.

I wasn't brave enough to tackle the chocolate and water mousse (maybe next time) but it did set me on the track to find a not-so-sinful-but-still-decadent chocolate mousse recipe.

Enter the celebrated Raymond Blanc OBE and his Chocolate Mousse Maman Blanc.

This recipe only uses whipped egg whites, melted chocolate and a teeny bit of sugar and heavens to murgatroyd was it good!  Chocolately and creamy but still light - it's like a creamy cloud of chocolate that melts in your mouth.  The boysenberry has just the perfect plummy tartness that makes the chocolate chocolatier.  It's just refreshing.

With no cream or egg yolks in sight this recipe is not only delicious, ridiculously easy to make, so along with being lactose-free and gluten-free it is also totally guilt free.

Guilt-free + hassle free? Oh yea, that's what I'm talking about.

Guilt-free Chocolate Mousse with Boysenberry Jelly (dairy-free, gluten-free)

***NB Contains raw egg whites*****
 
adapted from Raymond Blanc's recipe

Makes 4 servings (but I could so easily have had 2 of these I might double the recipe next time!)

Chocolate mousse
170 g dark chocolate*** (I like the Whittaker's 50% coz I reckon it makes it a little creamier but 70% works awesome too - very intense.)
8 large egg whites
15 g caster sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Boysenberry jelly
200 g frozen boysenberries
3 teaspoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon gelatin

1. Melt the dark chocolate either in the microwave using 30 second bursts at medium high heat, stirring with a metal spoon in between each stint. Or in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.

2. In an immaculately clean bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater until you get soft peaks (floppy peak when you lift the beater out of the mixture - stop it first of course!).  Turn the beater on high speed and gradually add the sugar into the egg whites and whip till you get firm peaks (that don't fold over) and the mixture looks shiny and glossy.

3. Add a decent scoop of the egg white into the hot melted chocolate and mix quickly.  Add the rest of the egg whites in and fold gently to combine.  Pour into small clear glasses or rammekins and put in the fridge.  Allow 6-12 hours to set (Monsieur Blanc says ideally no more than 12 hours as the cocoa butter in the chocolate will harden).

4. To make the boysenberry jelly: place the frozen berries and sugar into a small saucepan and heat until the berries are warmed and the sugar dissolved.  Take off the heat and add the gelatin and stir to combine.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

5. Spoon over the chocolate mousses (chocolate moussi??) with they have had at least 4 hours to set and allow an hour for the jelly to set.


*** NB: If you are making this for someone lactose intolerant use the highest % cocoa and double check the chocolate is lactose free. Same deal with gluten free.***