Chocolate-Almond Mousse

By Kim Carlson, from the Culinate Kitchen collection

Prep Time	15 minutes
Total Time	4 hours

Introduction

This airy dessert surprises with its bits of chocolate and almond. You can use 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips and your guests will love it, but you can also go all out with an artisanal chocolate bar (such as Scharffen Berger) and be rewarded with amazing chocolatey flavor.

Ingredients

	¼	cup sugar
	⅓	cup water
	6	oz. semisweet chocolate, broken
	3	Tbsp. dark rum
	3	egg yolks
	½	cup whole almonds, toasted
	1½	cups heavy cream
	~	Slivered or sliced almonds or shaved chocolate for garnish (optional)

Steps

1. Boil sugar and water together in a saucepan for three minutes. Set aside.
2. Using a blender or food processor, break up chocolate into nib-sized pieces. Add sugar/water mixture, rum, and egg yolks to the chocolate chips and mix well.
3. Add the almonds and mix until they are broken up.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until peaks are formed. Carefully fold the chocolate-almond mixture into the whipped cream and blend only until the ingredients are combined.
5. Pour mixture into 8 custard cups or 1 larger serving dish. Chill about 3 hours. Just before serving, garnish with sliced or slivered almonds or shaved chocolate.

Notes

Use organic eggs, preferably from a hen who’s living on pasture, for this dessert, and don’t serve it to your pregnant or elderly friends; the eggs are not cooked.

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