Nigella- Mint Chocolate Mousse

[semmens]

So I've finally escaped from the clutches of "Domestic Goddess" and ventured into "Forever Summer". ;)

This is yummy! Not quite as fluffy in texture as my usual mousse recipe, but really good; it tastes like a Girl Scout mint wafer. Really easy and fast too.

One note: I saw no need for the butter to be soft as you are nuking it in any case.

Laura


* Exported from MasterCook *

Mint Chocolate Mousse

Recipe By :Nigella Lawson
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
11 ounces mint-flavored chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened
6 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
mint leaves -- optional

Break the chocolate into pieces into a large bowl, add the butter and put into the microwave and melt. Set aside to let it cool a little. Separate the eggs and put the yolks and sugar into one bowl; in another, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry and set aside.

Now beat the yolks and sugar together then pour, and fold,into the cooled chocolate. When fully combined, add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and vigorously beat to incorporate fully. Now go more gently as you add further dollops of the egg whites and fold them into the chocolate base. When all the whites are folded in, pour into a glass bowl (or four to six individual glasses if you prefer), cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for a good 4 hours, though longer's fine. And don't be self-conscious; decorate the center of the bowl with a few leaves of mint, or pace one or two on top of each little mouse in its glass, before serving. You know you want to.

Source:
""Forever Summer""
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NOTES : Nigella recommends Ackerman's mint-flavored dark chocolate. You could use mint-flavored semi-sweet chips or any good dark chocolate and a few drops of peppermint oil (not extract). I used Hershey's Special dark along with peppermint oil and I thought it worked well.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0

[mbeth]

Thanks for posting this. Sounds yummy. I've reserved a copy of Forever Summer from the library and am going to pick it up Monday. Very excited. By the way, did you see Nigella on the Oprah show yesterday? Everything she made looked good, especially the Choco-Hoto-Pots. Will definitely be trying those!

Here are the recipes she made on the show, including the yummy dessert.

Butterflied Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
Created by Nigella Lawson
From the show What Ya Cookin'?
Makes 4–6 servings  Simple and savory, this recipe is great for a busy family or those who just don't like to fuss over dinner.  
  INGREDIENTS  
 
* 1 butterflied chicken (approx. 3 1/2 to 4 lbs)
* 3 long sprigs fresh rosemary
* Juice of 1 lemon, with more lemons to serve
* 1 red onion
* 6 tablespoons olive oil
* Maldon or other sea salt

 
  Put chicken into a large freezer bag. Pull the waxily aromatic needles off two of the sprigs of rosemary and drop them on top.

Cut a lemon in half and squeeze juice into the bag, chucking the rinds in the bag afterwards, too. Pour in olive oil and then tie bag. (Or vacuum seal, if possible.) Give it a good squeeze around the edges before sitting in the refrigerator.

Marinate chicken for a couple of hours, or overnight—even a couple of days.

Preheat oven to 425°. Once chicken is at room temperature, lay chicken (skin side up) along with lemon rinds and onion pieces, on a foil-lined pan. Add remaining sprig of rosemary torn into a few pieces and tuck into leg and breast of chicken.

Cook for 45 minutes. The chicken should now be crisp-skinned and tender within. Take the pan out and cut chicken into four pieces. Arrange on a plate along with onion bits.

Pour over any syrupy golden juices from the pan and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Cut a lemon or two into quarters and scatter these clumpily about the chicken.

Recommended technique: For a spicier option, brush the skin of the butterflied bird with some sambal oelek (hot, sharp chili paste) loosened with a little vegetable oil.  

Hasselback Potatoes
Created by Nigella Lawson
From the show What Ya Cookin'?
Makes 6–8 servings  Potatoes are always a pleasure at the dinner table, and these tubers are lovely to boot!  
  INGREDIENTS  
 
* 18 medium oval-shaped all-purpose potatoes, about 4 ounces each (or) 36 new potatoes, approximately 2 ounces each
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 5 tablespoons olive oil
* Maldon or other sea salt

 
  For larger potatoes, preheat oven to 425°. For roasting new potatoes, preheat to 400°.

Put each potato in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in an egg-spoon race, and cut across at about 1/2-inch intervals.

Put cut potatoes on the baking pan on the stove with the butter and oil and heat till sizzling.

Turn potatoes well, putting them in upside down (i.e., cut-side down) first, then right side up, and spoon the fat over them.

Sprinkle each potato well with salt and put in oven. Cook large potatoes for about an hour and 10 minutes, testing to see whether the flesh is soft. (Forty minutes for the new potatoes.)

Transfer to warmed plate and serve.

Choco-Hoto-Pots
Created by Nigella Lawson
From the show What Ya Cookin'?
Makes 4 servings  Forget about the calories—just sit back and enjoy the decadence provided in this warm chocolate treat.  
  INGREDIENTS  
 
* Butter for ramekins
* 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup superfine sugar
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

 
  Place baking sheet in an oven preheated to 400°. Butter four 2/3-cup ramekins and set aside.

Using a microwave oven or double boiler, melt together the semisweet chocolate and the butter. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar and flour. Add cooled chocolate mixture, and mix until blended. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Divide mixture evenly among ramekins and place on baking sheet. Bake until tops are shiny and cracked and chocolate beneath is hot and gooey, about 20 minutes. Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve, reminding children that ramekins and chocolate are hot.

[cinnabun]

I forgot all about this, so I missed it. What did Jamie Oliver do? Oh, I could just kick myself for missing this!!

[mbeth]

This was the first time I'd ever seen Jamie Oliver. He did a pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil as an uncooked sauce, a "Happy Salad," which was crostini with sort of a pea pesto and buffalo mozzarella, and a "frozen yogurt" which was frozen fruit pureed in the food processor with yogurt and honey. It all looked good, but I didn't copy the recipes. I imagine they are still posted on the website, www.oprah.com (http://www.oprah.com).

[honeygirl1971]

Thanks for the review Laura, and the report on the Oprah show, mbeth. I taped the show while I was gone but haven't watched it yet. That mint chocolate mousse sounds good, as do those recipes from the show. Yum!

I think Forever Summer could just be called The Mint Book, LOL. I've been really happy with the stuff I've made from it, though! I'll be interested to see what recipes you try, mbeth. ;)

[mbeth]

honeygirl--I picked up the book from the library yesterday. Many of the recipes look delicious, but, as I posted on another thread, I'm a huge wimp when it comes to searching out unusual ingredients. So I'll be making recipes that don't call for anything too exotic--I know this limits my options. I'll post what I make. Perhaps the chicken and potatoes she made on the show (which are from FS, although the Choco-Hoto-Pots were not, I noticed) will be my first attempt.

[semmens]

The Choco-Hoto-Pots are from a NY Times column but Oprah made it sound like they were from FS and Nigella didn't dispute her.

I'm making that chicken tomorrow night and maybe the potatoes too if I can find the right kind of potatoes (yes, I'm one of those fussy "correct ingredient or not at all" people!).

Laura