Mousse is a classic, versatile dessert that can be utilized in a multitude of ways.  They can be a decadent filling for bite-sized French pastries in Lafayette, LA and can be flavored in many different ways.  Whether you choose fruit or chocolate, espresso or vanilla, following a set of guidelines for ingredients and strategy should make your mousse-making adventure virtually foolproof.  Mousse has very few ingredients for the simplest recipes, mainly heavy whipping cream (30 percent fat content or more is recommended), sugar, and flavorings.  Other recipes can call for whipped egg whites, gelatin (depending on how set you need your mousse), egg yolks, and more. 

A traditional French chocolate mousse starts with mixing egg yolks and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. This can take a few minutes.  Next, warmed whipping cream is added gradually to the egg and sugar mixture while continuing to whisk the mixture.  This is a similar method to making custard and should be kept cooking, stirring constantly, until a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.  Once the optimum temperature is met, remove from the heat, and add your chocolate.  A good quality dark chocolate is the best.If you want to, adding some liqueur or espresso to elevate your mousse is a great idea and should be added at this step.  Mix until the chocolate is melted and everything is combined.  The mixture needs to chill completely, so you can use this time to relax and read a book or prep the rest of your meal if this mousse is part of a dinner party.  Once chilled, whip the rest of your whipping cream and fold into the chocolate mixture to keep the texture light and fluffy.  Whether you use this mousse as a stand-alone dessert or use it to fill a French pastry shell, it will delight your guests.

If a mousse is too intimidating for your kitchen skills, The Rolling Pin has abundant bite-sized French pastries in Lafayette, LA with different mousses, a chocolate mousse cake, chocolate mousse domes, and a mint-chocolate mousse cake that is sure to impress.