CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MOUSSE

Chocolate Caramel Mousse image

You can look at this as chocolate mousse stiffened by caramel or as a perfect caramel enriched by chocolate. Either way it is so rich, thick, gooey and creamy, so childish in a way, that it almost requires something completely sophisticated to offset it. Orange confit perhaps. Of course it can be eaten by itself, too.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories custards and puddings, dessert

Time 4h45m

Yield 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
3 cups heavy cream
8 ounces high quality unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, about 1 1/2 cups

Steps:

Put sugar in a heavy pan, and turn heat to medium. When sugar warms and begins to liquefy, add 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until mixture bubbles, then becomes foamy, then dry again. Keep cooking until it liquefies again, stirring often and breaking up any chunks that form. When it is all dissolved and brown, remove from heat, and stir in butter a bit at a time. Standing back to avoid spattering, add 1 cup cream, then stir until blended. Let sit until cool enough to touch.
Meanwhile beat remaining cream until it holds soft peaks; refrigerate. Melt chocolate over very low heat or in a double boiler or microwave.
Mix melted chocolate into caramel. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to caramel, and stir to combine. Add remaining whipped cream and gently fold, just until combined. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
Scoop mousse with a spoon dipped in a hot water. Serve alongside a piece of orange confit.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 302, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 24 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 19 milligrams, Sugar 21 grams, TransFat 0 grams