Q&A: How do I make my chocolate mousse VERY LIGHT AND AIRY?

Question by M-Baldwin: How do I make my chocolate mousse VERY LIGHT AND AIRY?
I make chocolate mousse with egg yolks, chocolate, heavy cream and sugar, then folding in whipped egg whites (standard recipe).

But I’ve eaten pre-packaged mousse that is incredibly airy, with bubbles so big you can see them, and a texture that is ‘stiff’, not runny at all.

How can I make this at home?

Best answer:

Answer by kclightman
What do you put egg yolks in it for? Seems to me it would weigh it down.

Here’s what I use, and I get professional-quality mousse:

Mousse:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chilled heavy cream, divided
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

To make the Mousse: Put the 8 ounces of chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the cream, the brandy, and vanilla to a boil over medium high heat. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate; set it aside for 5 minutes before whisking until smooth. Cool the chocolate mixture to room temperature, whisking occasionally.

(Note: you can also substitute Cool Whip here)
In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream until it holds a soft peak. Sift the sugar over the cream, and continue beating until slightly thicker; take care not to over whip the cream.

Fold a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate to lighten the mixture. Fold in the remaining cream.

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