Dark Chocolate Mousse Sea Salt (Printable)

Rich, silky dark chocolate mousse finished with flaky sea salt for a sophisticated dessert.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chocolate Base

01 - 5.3 oz high-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed

→ Mousse Mixture

03 - 3 large eggs, separated
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, cold

→ Finishing

07 - Flaky sea salt, for garnish
08 - Dark chocolate curls or shavings (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
02 - Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar and vanilla extract until pale and creamy. Slowly whisk in the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture until fully combined.
03 - Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
04 - In another bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form.
05 - Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Then fold in the beaten egg whites in three additions, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
06 - Spoon the mousse into serving glasses or ramekins. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until set.
07 - Before serving, sprinkle each mousse with a pinch of flaky sea salt and garnish with chocolate curls or shavings if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a French kitchen, but honest work takes maybe thirty minutes of active time.
  • The sea salt hitting your tongue against that dark chocolate richness is the kind of flavor surprise that makes people close their eyes mid-bite.
  • You can make it completely ahead, so dessert stress just evaporates.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step for the melted chocolate—if it's too hot when it hits the egg yolks, you'll end up with bits of cooked egg instead of a smooth custard base, and that mistake teaches you something you never forget.
  • The moment you start folding in those egg whites, slow down and be gentle because that's what keeps the mousse light and airy rather than dense and heavy.
03 -
  • Don't use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate—they're completely different things and the mousse just won't have the same richness and depth.
  • The success of this recipe lives in the folds—every gentle turn of your spatula keeps air in the mousse, so patience while folding is more important than speed.

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