Yuzu Chocolate Mousse

Let me tell you, I'm always looking for more ways to use up the extra egg yolks in my fridge! I have a tendency to use egg whites like CRAZY, which leaves behind those precious yolks. ENTER a classic chocolate mousse… but not any chocolate mousse! This bright and creamy Yuzu Chocolate Mousse is made using Valrhona's Inspiration Chocolate line… and it's real dreamy.

A Classic Recipe

There are many different techniques and flavors when it comes to creating a mousse! Since this dessert has so few ingredients, you can really play with the texture, flavor and richness quite easily. It's also an inherently French dessert that you will find offered at most classically French restaurants to this day.

What is Yuzu?

Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is mainly cultivated in Japan, Korea, and China. I would say that a Yuzu tends to be most often compared to both a lemon and lime. Although it is incredibly fragrant, it's also extremely sour and tart, meaning that in cooking it is mainly used for its juice and zest. I tend to use Yuzu juice in many of my recipes, and more recently, I've tried Valrhona's Yuzu Chocolate which I will be using to make this recipe!

Yuzu Chocolate Mousse - The Method

In a small heatproof bowl, combine the yuzu chocolate and butter. Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and stir continuously until the chocolate and butter have melted, and they are smooth.

Remove the bowl from heat but leave the pot simmering on low. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Set the bowl over the pot of barely simmering water and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and becomes slightly stiff.

Then, remove from heat and set aside. Add the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Stir for a few more minutes to allow the mixture to cool then set aside until it cools to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Whisk ¼ of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully mixed in.

Divide the mousse among four 6-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until it has set, about 1 hour. Add a dollop of whip cream on top with a bit of lemon zest for garnish!

Setting Time

One thing that you don't want to rush is the setting time for your mousse. You must allow the mousse-filled ramekins to set in the fridge before they can be served. This should take about one hour in total!

STORING MOUSSE

Your Yuzu Chocolate Mousse will keep for a few days when kept cold in the fridge. This makes it a phenomenal dessert to make ahead of time!