Perfect monochromatic balance

I had to feed seven people last weekend with only a few hours notice. Had a whole chicken to roast with all the trimmings and with no time to go out and shop I had to devise a dessert from my cupboard items alone. I felt like I was on Masterchef.
Knowing I had some chocolate in the cupboard I decided to leaf through my trusty Green and Black’s chocolate recipe book for the recipe with the least ingredients. The answer was mousse.

Now, I am not a fan of mousse, any type of mousse, not even chocolate, I find them……boring. But, like I said, time was a-ticking and with a heavy main I reasoned it would add a fluffy, light end to the meal. Plus it is one of the least costly desserts you can make. I am not a snob when it comes to ingredients but as this recipe calls for so few I would advise using good quality chocolate, I used Lindt 70 to 80% cocoa solids.

Marbled Mousse (serves 6)

125g dark chocolate, finely chopped

125g white chocolate, finely chopped

5 eggs

75g caster sugar

400ml double cream

1.Melt both chocolates in separate bowls and set aside to cool for 15 minutes (I did it in the microwave, which I think it’s considered a sin, but you just need to make sure you stir it every 20 secs)

2.Separate the egg yolks and whites, and using an electric whisk beat the yolks with the sugar for 5 minutes until pale and mousse-like

3.In a separate bowl beat the cream

4.Wash the whisk thoroughly and beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry

5.Using a metal spoon, fold the cream into the yolk mixture, followed by the egg whites

6.Half this mixture into two bowls then lightly stir the white chocolate into one and the melted dark chocolate into the other half.

7.Spoon one mousse on top of the other and lightly fold the two together to achieve a marbled effect. Finally divide the mixture among six glasses and chill for at least six hours.

There were a few changes to the method and I also added some extras: strawberries to the bottom of the glasses sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, but you can add anything you fancy.

And readers, I was converted. This recipe was different from others I have tried before, the white chocolate breaks the bitterness of the dark chocolate and because this recipe uses yolks rather than butter, it’s not too heavy but it still feels rich and velvety.

Very low cost and highly scrummy. Whenever you feel pressed for time, go for this one.