Soooo, I am finally back from my very extended visit to north America and I actually found the time to make dessert and write an entry for it.
Our trip (my first ever) to the United States began and ended in New York, and we spent the next 30 days in between driving around the northeast portion of the map and included a short visit into Canada. Whilst in New York we stayed with an old friend of mine who owns a gorgeous riverside property on the Jersey side – comes with daily amazeballz views of the Manhattan skyline.
We were so super blessed to have the opportunity to stay with them for 7 days which in turn allowed us to extend our visit of New York without incurring too much of a financial cost living in hotels in the city centre. Plus, when we got to NYC it happened to be the eve of 9/11 Memorial weekend so most of the affordable hotels were out of the question booked out. Besides, I haven’t seen Sam in over ten years, it would be so good to catch up. Sam and I have been friends since college, once upon a time when we all lived and studied in Singapore. She is married now and lives right here in the most famous of cities with her husband Bill (such a top bloke!).
When in New York the boyfriend and I were so busy soaking it all up that I regret not having the time to cook them dinner at least once. Sam’s brother dropped in for a visit during our last two days at their place and I know him to be quite the chocoholic. His favourite dessert used to be tiramisu but for some reason when I went to the store I could not find any marscapone cheese so scratch that idea. I still wanted to make Bill and Sam something before we left so mousse was the order of the day – a nice silky smooth one with chunks of almondy Italian biscotti with a hint of anise. SO GOOD! Amazing product I randomly found in the biscuit aisle.
All I did was crush up the biscotti into large-ish chunks, place them in the bottom of glass pudding cups and topped them off with my chocolate mousse. Super simple recipe that will save you time and fuss-free. I use no egg yolks in my mousse recipe – just heavy whipped cream and whipped egg whites. Great if you want to make this dessert ahead of time for a dinner party. Keeps up to three days in the fridge. For decoration I simply used fresh berries that I had macerated for 30 mins in sugar and peach liqueur – another random find at the liquor store when Sid went to pick up some beers – some biscotti squares and some spare chocolate chips. Perfect.
When I made this dessert Sam and Bill were away for the weekend. So I placed all the goodies in the fridge and sent them a picture and a note in her email before we left the house en route to the airport. I hope they like it. I also hope her brother doesn’t eat it all before they get back.
Chocolate Biscotti Mousse
- 400 g Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chocolate chips (60% cocoa)
- 180 mls milk (I used unsweetened soy milk, and it worked just fine)
- 500 mls heavy whipping cream
- 3 large egg whites (4 if using mediums)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 pkt powdered gelatine
- 1 box Nonni’s Italian chocolate biscotti
Mixed berries for decoration
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp peach liqueur (optional)
1. Pour the chocolate chips and the milk into a large glass mixing bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir with spatula. Then return the bowl to the microwave in 30-sec intervals until all the chips are thoroughly melted and forms a luxurious and glossy mixture. Leave aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, boil some water and dissolve the coffee granules in about 2 tbsp of hot water. Stir well and allow to cool to room temp. Once the coffee has cooled, sprinkle the gelatine powder over the top and leave to bloom.
3. In a mixing bowl whip up the heavy cream with 1 tbsp of sugar until medium peaks form. Transfer to the fridge and keep it cold until ready for use.
4. In a clean and grease free mixing bowl add the egg whites and beat until frothy. Add 1 tbsp sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
5. Now assemble the dessert. Pour the coffee and gelatine mix into the melted chocolate and stir thoroughly with wire whisk for even distribution. Next add in the cold whipped cream in thirds using a folding-in method. Finally add the whipped egg whites in the same manner. The trick here is to use a large bowl and a large spatula for ease of process. The cold cream would already start to work on the gelatine so work quickly from here onwards.
6. Crush the biscotti and place in the bottom of serving bowls or cups. You may fill the cups by using a regular spoon or piping bag, whichever you prefer. Gently shake the cups from side to side to allow the mixture to settle around the crushed biscotti and to dispel any air pockets. Shaking will also allow you to get a nice even surface to put all the decorations on later. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
So all done and dusted, hip hip hooray. I leave these babies in the fridge for the homeowners, the boyfriend gets a bowl of mousse all to himself and he is very happy. I cleaned down the kitchen, we packed up our suitcases and out the door we went to catch our 10:30 pm flight out of New York.
New York you have been great. I seriously see myself visiting again within the next 12-months. Until then, adios.
To read more about our trip around America and Canada, click the link below.
~ Enjoy ~
UNITED STATES of AMERICA!!
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