Light Stunt: Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

As I've networked within the community, I have discovered that women who write food blogs far outnumber men who do which makes me part of a minority. I would also be willing to bet that a woman is reading these very words. Now, I love each of my readers equally but ladies, this post isn't for you to read. I will now ask you to bring your significant others into the room to read between the two lines of asterisks.

***************************************

Gentlemen, allow me to quickly introduce myself. I am DB and I have assumed the alias Foodie Stuntman. As you're aware, Valentine's Day was about a week ago. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of it as I discussed previously. So, as opposed to displaying your affection on a holiday manufactured by Hallmark Cards where we're obligated to do so, surprise her when she doesn't expect it. She'll appreciate it more. (And no, don't prepare this dessert because you came home with a door ding on her passenger side rear fender or spent too much money hanging out with the boys at the sports bar the Saturday prior.) To that end, I found this dessert online that's easy to prepare.

Now, this site is called Crazy Foodie Stunts and I always challenge myself, so...

The Challenge

Get us guys in the kitchen to make something for our significant others.

The Source

Adapted from a recipe I found on iVillage

Equipment Needed

(I've attached sample pictures of some of the items.)

1 medium saucepan
1 baking spatula
1 heatproof (stainless steel or Pyrex) bowl medium size
3 additional large preparation bowls
1 hand mixer or stand mixer if you're lucky to have one.
1 whisk
4 cocktail, wine or martini glasses

Ingredients

3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 large eggs, separated (You'll need 2 of the 3 additional bowls for this)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
whip cream, for serving
Chocolate shavings or chips, for garnish

Method

1. Fill the saucepan halfway with water. Place the heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan. If the water touches the bottom of the bowl, pour a little bit of the water out enough so that the water does not touch it. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chocolate and milk in the heatproof bowl, then place the bowl back over the simmering water. Stir with the baking spatula until melted, then remove the bowl from heat and let it cool off for a minute or two. (By the way, if you want to sound sophisticated, this is called a double boiler set up. Yes, you could melt the chocolate in the nuclear oven, but I've never found radiation very tasty.)

2. While the chocolate is cooling, add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks. Use the whisk to stir until thick and creamy. Then add the chocolate from the heatproof bowl and stir everything using the whisk until just combined.

3. Add the heavy cream to the remaining preparation bowl. Using your mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. (Only the first three minutes of the video I've provided are relevant.) Add the chocolate mixture to the cream and stir until just combined.

4. Clean the beaters from your mixer and re-attach. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form using the same procedure in step 3. Stir in some of the egg whites then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Spoon a portion of the mousse into each of your serving glasses, cover with either plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. While you're waiting for it to set, be sure to clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes before grabbing a beer and watching the game. When you're ready to serve, top each glass with whip cream and garnish it with chocolate shavings or chips.

5. Enjoy the appreciation from your significant other.

***************************************

So ladies, you've seen the picture above. However if your guy presents this dessert on you suddenly, please accept the gift at face value and appreciate it as a token of affection. No, he isn't softening you for some bad news later on.

In other news, Mrs. Stuntman and I did celebrate Valentine's Day but we decided to do so on Sunday the 16th at Frances in San Francisco. You might recognize it because it was awarded one Michelin star in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The dishes we ordered were:

Roasted Turnip Empanada-Sultana Raisin, Salsa Verde

Tuscan Kale & Butter Bean Soup-Farro, Crostini, Roasted Chicken and Garlic Broth

Winter Vegetable Casserole-Hen of the Wood Mushrooms, Buttermilk Biscuits

Sonoma Duck Breast-Pumpkin Seed Dukkah, Roasted Winter Squash, Blood Orange

Crisp Bintje Potatoes & Charred Broccolini, Taleggio di Peghera

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

There's an old saying in the culinary world that goes something like this: If cooking is an art, then baking is a science. It's one of the reasons I don't prepare many desserts for presentation here. It's also one of the reasons I have so much respect for baking blogs such as Joanna of Chic & Gorgeous Treats, Amy of Fragrant Vanilla Cake and Jennie of The Messy Baker, just to name a few.

In fact, my original plan for the guest post I did for Kim Bee of Cravings of a Lunatic was a apple cheesecake, taking my idea of using breakfast cereal to make a crust from Apple Jacks. My result was tasty, but it wasn't very pretty and I didn't want an ugly dish to present as a first impression to new readers.

This isn't my first time at the rodeo, so to speak. I've prepared a number of cheesecakes in the past, but have never prepared one where I've been completely satisfied. I've either had problems with cracks that appear on top or the center not setting properly. A majority of cheesecake recipes found online are topped somehow, either with a ganache, or some other type of garnish I suspect to hide any flaws in appearance. (It's a dirty secret with cheesecakes.)

Fortunately, there's help. One of the most comprehensive explanations I found on why many home bakers fail at cheesecakes and suggestions on how to avoid these pitfalls is by Diana of Diana's Desserts. I have used the water bath technique to avoid cracks in the surface but I still have issues with a soft center.

Mrs. Stuntman and I hosted some friends for dinner last night where I served this seasonal dessert so I thought I'd share it here.

The Challenge

Successfully complete a baked dessert.

The Source

I adapted the recipe from Natalie of Once Upon a Cutting Board I found via feastie.com. Natalie's original source is Kraft Foods Inc. Like Natalie, I opted for an Oreo cookie crust but omitted the added sugar in the crust because the cookie crumbs are already sweet.

Ingredients

1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups frozen whip cream topping, thawed
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (candy canes), divided
8 cups water, boiling

Method

1. Prepare the baking pan: Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and the side with parchment paper. Wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil so that it completely covers the bottom of the pan and halfway up the sides.

2. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter and press into the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. Make the cake batter: Beat cream cheese and white sugar with an electric mixer until well blended. Add 1 egg and beat on low speed just until blended. Repeat twice more with each egg. Stir in the white chocolate, 1/4 cup peppermint candy and peppermint extract, being careful not to over stir. Pour the batter into the springform pan on top of the Oreo cookie crust.

4. Bake the cheesecake: Place a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the springform pan in the oven and put the prepared springform pan in the larger roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches 2 inches up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour. Remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Then refrigerate at least 6 hours to overnight.

5. Garnish the cake: Immediately before serving, top the cheesecake with the whip cream and shower with the remaining peppermint candy.

Successful?

I didn't have any surface cracks with this cheesecake, however I was a little nervous after the 50 minutes in the oven because the batter was a little wobbly. Ultimately it stiffened up as it cooled.

At the very least, I might bake more often simply for the reason that it was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with my daughter. Also, my guests were very happy with the dessert.

Lastly, if you aren't familiar with Natalie, you can get to know her by giving her a 'Like' on facebook, following her on twitter and/or Pinterest.