Creating a blog was out of the question for a long time for me, as measuring everything in the kitchen was like biting into an eggshell. I enjoy cooking and don’t want to waste even a slightest bit of enjoyment in that small world of mine. But little did I know that everything will change, when my husband came home with the Oscar nominated film ‘Julie and Julia’( a real life story) where Julie Powell (part played by Amy Adams) challenged herself to make all the 524 recipes from Julia Child's cook book ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ and blogging all her experiences (The Julie/Julia Project). It was an inspiring movie. A few days later when we were discussing this casually with a friend of ours over tea…everything changed dramatically…..” How about you making at least half of it in one year? Not French but your own. 262 recipes that will inspire others and present it as a blog?” For a minute my mind traveled faster than light… With an experience as a helper in my mother in laws kitchen for 6 years followed by a three year everyday struggle to satisfy the palate of my foodie husband, if I cannot do it then why should I cook? But on the other side with an experience in English literature extending no more than expanding outline stories in English grammar class when I was 18 and two small kids that come in handy at times, will a commitment for the next one year work? Anyway my ‘cook's ego’ didn’t allow me to say no...

So my friends …here I am opening my recipe book, trying to perfect and present 262 recipes in the coming 365 days….A Challenge that will of course tastes good. Come.. Have a walk with me along my journey.. Cheering and inspiring….Forgiving and tolerating…Testing and tasting….for ‘A Tasty Challenge’

Search This Blog

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Coffee Cocoa Mousse in Chocolate Cups

Recipe No: 259
I already posted a recipe on Chocolate Mousse, but I felt that this is much easy to make and Egg less too. Also I wanted to mention how easy it is to make these edible Chocolate cups.
Ingredients                                          Makes 6
To make the Chocolate Cups
  • Semisweet Chocolate chips………3/4 Cup
  • Shortening…………………………..…1 Tablespoon (Dalda will work)
  • Cup Cake liners……………………….6
To Make the Mousse
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk……..1/2 can (7 oz/ 200 grams)
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder…….3 Tablespoons
  • Butter…………………………………….1 ½ Tablespoons
  • Instant Coffee Powder……………..1 Teaspoon (Dilute with 1 teaspoon Hot Water)
  • Vanilla Essence……………………….1/2 Teaspoon
  • Heavy Cream………………………….1 Cup
Method of Preparation
To make the Chocolate Cups
  1. Melt Chocolate Chips and Shortening in a microwave safe bowl in a microwave for around 1 ½ minutes or till the chips are almost melted. Do take care to stop and mix every 30 seconds.
  2. With a food grade brush, (I used a Silicon brush) paint the inner part of the cup cake liners and place them in a Muffin pan. (This is to keep the shape; otherwise the liners may lose its shape due to the weight of Chocolate.) Keep the left over Chocolate for later use.
  3. Repeat this with all the liners and keep in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
  4. Use the leftover Chocolate to coat the Chocolate cups once more to ensure the strength of the cups. If the reserved Chocolate hardens, do melt it in the microwave for a few seconds.
  5. Keep this overnight in the refrigerator. (Do refrigerate it all the times.)
  6. Peel the cup cake liner off and fill the Chocolate cups with the Mousse.
To make the Mousse
  1. Heat together Condensed Milk, Cocoa Powder, Butter and Coffee on a low heat until the Butter is melted and everything is combined well without any lumps. (Don’t let it boil or thicken.)
  2. Off the heat and mix in the Vanilla Essence. Let it cool down. (Do stir it once in a while to avoid the skin from forming on top.)
  3. In another pan whip Heavy Cream until stiff.
  4. Fold in/ gently mix the Chocolate mixture into the Heavy Cream.
  5. Spoon this into the prepared Chocolate cups and serve chilled. (Or you can transfer it into a Zip Lock bag; cut the tip off and squeeze the Mousse into the cups in a pretty pattern.)
Notes:
  • Do not use Butter to make the Chocolate cups as it  softens at room temperature. As shortening stays solid at room temperature, it gives more strength to the Chocolate cups.
  • If you don’t have a microwave to melt the Chocolate, do use a double boiler. (Place the Chocolate in a small bowl kept on top of a big pan with simmering Water, so that the bottom of the bowl with the Chocolate does not touch the simmering Water.)
  • Use the best Cocoa Powder that is available for this recipe. (Dutch processed is the best.)
  • Don't pour the hot Chocolate mixture into the Cream, as heat deflates the whipped Cream. So allow the Chocolate mixture to cool down before folding it into the whipped Heavy Cream.
  • It is easy to whip Heavy Cream when it is cold.
  • If you want to avoid the Chocolate cups, you can serve the Mousse in pretty glasses.
 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

6 comments:

sojo said...

superb idea for edible cups....

Vimitha Durai said...

Would love to grab one and gobble it down... Great idea... That is a lovely combination of flavors...

sindu simon said...

i have a question, can you substitute butter for shortening?

Asha said...

Oh yes....Sindu...

sindu simon said...

tanx for the reply...


you know how when you heated up the chocolate and shortening for the chocolate cups...it turned out in a liquid form, but when i tried like that it turned out to be like a jaggery sort of form. do you think it was because i used butter instead of shortening?

Asha said...

Sindu... It is not because of Butter... It is because the Chocolate got scorched/ burnt... possibly because of high heat... or by the presence of Water (even droplets may cause) It requires low heat and a huge bit of patience... Shortening is solid even at room temperature... so will hold the shape of the cups better...

Post a Comment