Rich and smooth chocolate mousse combines with a sweet mango gelee. Share this layered dessert with your loved one on Valentine’s Day or on a date night.
By the time you are reading this post, Bryan and I are on a plane to Japan. After months of planning, we are finally heading our way! You can follow our journey on my Instagram. I will be posting plenty of food pictures!
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, a dessert recipe is a must. This dessert combines two of my favorite things, mango and chocolate. Sweet ripe mango gelee is layered with a smooth and bittersweet chocolate mousse. It is a sweet, but not overly sweet dessert.
A gelee is like a jelly. But in this dessert, the mango gelee is more like a thick puree. First, remove the flesh from the mangoes and blend into a puree. Cook the puree over heat and thicken with gelatin. To give the gelee a little bite, stir in some fresh cubed mangoes. Transfer to the serving containers and keep in the fridge to chill. For the chocolate mousse, I used the recipe from Bon Appétit. It is a combination of whipped egg yolk, meringue, and whipped cream. And of course, good chocolate (Lindt is the best)! The mousse is rich, smooth and slightly bittersweet, which balance nicely with the gelee. You can make this 1 day ahead.
To make it extra special, I made some chocolate hearts with melted chocolate chips. The hearts are surprisingly easy to make, and they can be done within 15 minutes. I have one tip for you. Make sure the lines are not too thin. If the lines are too thin, they will break and fall apart. My hearts are lace hearts. The extra lines helps to keep the heart intact. If you can find chocolate pearls or chocolate crisps, toss some on top as well. They add a little texture to the mousse, which is a great addition.
Enjoy this pretty dessert and have a sweet Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Mousse with Mango Gelee
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
Mango Gelee:
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup mango puree (about 1½ large mangoes, blend into puree)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 – 3 teaspoons sugar (depends on the sweetness of the mangoes)
- ½ large mango (cut into ¼-inch cubes)
Chocolate Mousse:
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup strong coffee or espresso (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup, plus 1½ tablespoons sugar
- pinch of salt
- 6 ounces 70% chocolate (finely chopped)
- 2 large egg whites
Decoration: (optional)
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ large mango (cut into ¼-inch cubes)
- 1 tablespoon chocolate pearls or chocolate crisps
Instructions
- Choose 4 (5-ounce) desired containers.
- To make the gelee, in a small pot over medium heat, add the mango puree and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons cold water and sprinkle with gelatin powder. Let it sit for 1- 2 minute.
- Stir the gelatin into the mango puree. Mix until dissolved, about 3 – 5 minutes. Taste and add sugar if needed. Let it cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Stir in the mango cubes.
- Carefully spoon ½ of the mango gelee into the containers evenly. Transfer the containers to the fridge. Cover the remaining gelee with a plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is touching the surface of the gelee. Cool at room temperature.
- For the chocolate mousse, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, coffee, salt, and ¼ cup sugar. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, the mixture is lighter in color and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Let it cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy with uniform small bubbles. Add 1½ tablespoons sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 2 addictions. Fold in the whipped cream until just blended. With a spoon or piping bag, divide the chocolate mousse into the 4 containers. Return the mousse back to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- 30 minutes later, transfer the remaining mango gelee into a piping bag. Insert into the center of the mousse and pipe about 1 teaspoon of gelee into each cup. Top each cup of mousse with another teaspoon of gelee. Cover the containers with plastic wrap and put back into the fridge. Let it set for at least 2 hours.
- If making chocolate hearts, line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small microwave bowl, add chocolate chips. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute with medium power. Stir and heat again for another 30 seconds. Stir again. Repeat until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag. Cut a tiny hole and pipe out hearts on the prepared parchment paper. When finished, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.
- To assemble, decorate the mousse with extra mango cubes, chocolate pearls and chocolate hearts if using. Serve.
Notes
Tips:
- This recipe can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Decorate when ready to serve.
- If you don’t have piping bags, use Ziploc bags.
- For an easier and quicker version, put the mousse at the bottom and top with gelee.
- I know this recipe yield 4 servings. For 2 people, you can serve 2 cups tonight and eat the other 2 the next day.
(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
Courses Dessert
What a beautiful gelee! And that love lace chocolate sounds so easy to make. I need to try it soon and it makes a great idea for valentine’s day. Have fun in Japan!