Chocolate With Francois

Chocolate mousse is such a versatile dessert. And Francois Payard, the author of Chocolate Epiphany agrees. So for this month's recipe, I wanted everyone to come up with an interesting way to present their mousse.

I piped my mousse into small ice-cream cones that were wrapped with pretty paper. Then I nestled them into champagne flutes that were filled part of the way with black rice.

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
10 ounces (72% chocolate), melted

Directions:
1. Pour the cream in a large bowl and whisk by hand or with a handheld electric mixer until it holds soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Set aside. (If you own two electric mixer bowls, you can whip the cream in an electric mixer fitted with t6he whisk attachment.)

2. Place the eggs and egg yolk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until fluffy.

3. While the eggs are being beaten, place the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. after the syrup has boiled for 1 minute, pour it into the eggs in a slow stream, with the mixer running, down the inside of the bowl. Continue whipping the eggs until they have doubled in volume and are cold (feel the bottom of the bowl to check), about 5 minutes. They will be pale yellow.

4. With a silicone spatula, fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate the mousse until ready to use, for up to 1 hour. Any longer, and the mousse will begin to set, the mousse will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, and frozen for up to 1 week. Frozen mousse becomes very heavy, so can't be piped, but you can scoop it or shape it in quenelles, as you would ice cream.