The family chocolate mousse recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dark sweetened chocolate, cut into half-inch pieces
• 6 eggs, separated
• 0.25 cup sweet liqueur (chartreuse, amaretto, mandarine, or Grand Marnier)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• Whipped cream and grated chocolate, for garnish

Directions

1. Place the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, almost boiling water. Cover and melt over low heat.
2. Put the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy saucepan. Set over very low heat and whisk vigorously and constantly until the yolks begin to thicken. Whisk in the liqueur and cook, beating constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily (until the sauce achieves the consistency of a hollandaise or a sabayon, which it is). Remove from the heat.
3. Fold the melted chocolate into the sauce. Scrape the sauce into a large bowl.
4. Beat the cream until stiff, adding 2 tablespoons of the sugar toward the end of the beating. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
5. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Beat in the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff. Fold into the mousse.
6. Spoon the mousse into a crystal bowl and chill until ready to serve, at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate.