Sunday, February 3, 2008

Chocolate Mousse Tartlettes



I LOVE chocolate desserts. When I'm choosing dessert from a menu, I always look for the chocolate options first. I'm a sucker for any rich, decadent chocolate dessert. This recipe is for a pie that my mom used to make when I was growing up. It's an old recipe from Julia Childs. I like it because it's got rich chocolate flavor but yet isn't heavy like a cheesecake. It's a chocolate mousse in a crust. I've adapted her recipe slightly and instead of one pie I've made them into tartlettes and individual servings.
Vote for me in the Death by Chocolate contest

Chocolate Mousse Pie
Crust:
1 1/2cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ounce melted semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup melted butter
Mix together and press into a 9 inch pie or tart pan or into tartlette pans or small molds.

Filling:
6 oz good quality semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate
3/4 cup of brown sugar divided
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs separated
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Gran Marnier

Melt chocolate in double boiler over hot water. Cool slightly. Mix together in an upright mixer or with a hand mixer the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Add vanilla, salt, and the egg yolks. Mix only until well incorporated. Fold the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture. Beat egg white until stiff but not dry. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar and beat until stiff and dry. Take a small amount of the egg white and mix into the chocolate cream cheese mixture to lighten it then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. Place the cream in mixing bowl and whip until about double in volume add the Gran Marnier and whip until it holds soft peaks. Fold about half of the whipped cream in to the chocolate cream cheese mixture. Reserving the rest of the cream for the top of the pie. Pour into prepared crust and chill overnight. Use reserved whipped cream to decorate the top of the pie.

13 comments:

Chibog in Chief said...

oh what a lovely entry!!! and the photo look stunningly delicious!! goodluck!!

Farmgirl Susan said...

YUM! And so beautiful! And easy! So this is a totally no-bake recipe? I love it! : )

Farmgirl Susan said...

P.S. I'm thinking that '3/4 cup brown sugar, divided' at the very end of the directions goes further up in the recipe? And that it's actually 1/8 teaspoon salt? Can't wait to try this! ; )

Half Baked said...

Thanks dhanggit! I've got my fingers crossed;)
Thanks Susan,
I'm not sure what happened when I published this post but some how the brown sugar ended up at the bottom of the recipe...weird. Anyway it's in the right place now:)

Gigi said...

Cute tartlettes and no-bake, perfect!

Ryley @ That's My Family! said...

Oh these look amazing!!!!!!!!!

You definitly have my vote..

Yumm!!

www.thatsmycake.net

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I'd vote for you :) These look so chocolately good

Rosie said...

WOW this is a great entry! They look delicious and very stunning, you have me drooling viewing them:)

Thank you for visiting my blog what a fantastic blog you have here! I will add you to my blogroll on the site. I NEED to keep visiting all your delicious creations :)

Rosie x

Jaime said...

wow, those are beautiful! i hope we can both make it into the top 10 for the contest :)

i just joined the DB this month, just checking out everyone else’s blogs, wanted to say hello :)

Cynthia said...

Ouuuu, that first photograph is fantastic but scroll down to the second one and you're in chocolate heaven!

Cakespy said...

Oh lord! This is a BEAUTIFUL entry. Chocolate cream pie is one of my favorite things in the world, so naturally this appeals to me very much. Mmm.

Yas said...

That cupcake looks amaaazing! got to try this one soon!

Tarah at Genesis of a Cook said...

Beautiful! It looks to die for!