From fudge cakes to cookies, candy to ice cream flavors, much of our population looks toward chocolate as the main and most delicious food group. Andover students are no exception. The other night, a friend of mine asked me if I knew how to make chocolate mousse. I had never tried, so we ended up experimenting, and the resulting recipe we deemed scrumptious. Stellar. Spectacular. Now, before I continue any further, I have a somewhat unnerving confession to make: I’m allergic to chocolate. I can already hear the gasps and condolences, but because I’ve never had it, it really doesn’t make a difference. Tragically, that means this is one recipe I couldn’t taste, but my friend attested to its brilliance. Chocolate chips melt into a silky sauce that is swirled into whipped cream for a smooth, airy treat. All of the ingredients for this indulgence can be found easily in Commons. Melt a scoop of chocolate chips, a little bit of butter and a dash of half and half in the microwave for about two minutes, removing the bowl periodically to whisk the mixture with a fork. The fudgy creation should attain a mouthwatering, glossy sheen, but if it seems a bit thick, add another splash of half and half. For the next step, the chocolate has to cool down to room temperature. If you’re in a rush, fill a salad bowl with ice and plunk the chocolate bowl in, then stir slowly until the chocolate chills. Make sure the sauce maintains its fluid consistency. Now this is the fun part: dollop some whipped cream into another soup bowl. To avoid a whipped cream overdose, start with a small amount, then gradually stir in the chocolate sauce. At first delicate spirals of chocolate infuse with the cream, then the mixture attains a consistent coffee-with-cream, hazelnut color. The mousse should be able to hold its own shape, but it should be able to smooth out without getting too gloopy. From this stage, there are a number of options for the mousse. For instant gratification, enjoy the mousse straight from the bowl. Alternatively, you can create a chocolate mousse pie by adding graham-cracker crust. Crush graham crackers to a powder, mix with some cocoa and softened butter and pat down into a cereal bowl until the crumb mixture extends up the sides of the bowl in a shape remotely like a piecrust. Spread the mousse into the pie, slowly extending in circles outwards until the filling lays flat. Frozen chocolate mousse makes a great variation to take back to your dorm or home. Spoon the mousse into a disposable coffee cup, cap it and leave it in the freezer. The mousse takes on a light texture almost like ice cream, soft and scoopable. To intensify the chocolate flavor in any of these variations, dust some cocoa or sprinkle chopped chocolate chips over the top. The velvety smooth creation will satisfy all your chocolate cravings. Enjoy!
