Tips: Light-textured and airy but very rich, this is best served after a light meal. Keep portions small; I pile the mousse into individual porcelain ramekins that hold 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup each. Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a necessity for this dessert. For garnish, use some shaved or grated bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, a few fresh raspberries, or a mint leaf or two.

I use a pasteurized liquid egg product here instead of shell eggs, because this mousse is not cooked and I don't feel like risking salmonella. The brand I use is Table Ready, distributed nationwide by Papetti Foods of Elizabeth, NJ. I recommend that you use this brand, as some others I've tried do not work in the recipe. You'll need a hand-held electric mixer to make this.

• 9 ozs. good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1/2 cup Table Ready pasteurized liquid egg product
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

• Lightly sweetened whipped cream
• Shaved or grated bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• Fresh raspberries
• Mint leaves

Place chocolate in large heatproof bowl. In small saucepan over low heat, heat 1/2 cup cream (reserve and refrigerate remainder) until very hot, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; pour over chopped chocolate. Allow to stand 2 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth. (If necessary, place bowl of chocolate over simmering water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl), and stir often until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and hot water). Set aside near stovetop.

In small heatproof bowl, combine liquid egg product, sugar, and salt. With hand-held electric mixer, beat at low speed to combine. Set over barely simmering water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl); increase mixer speed to high. Beat mixture at high speed for one minute; it will increase greatly in volume and become light and foamy. Remove from heat and hot water; dry bowl bottom and sides. Scrape egg mixture into chocolate mixture. With mixer on medium speed, beat the two together until well-combined, scraping sides and especially bottom of bowl as necessary. Set aside to cool to room temperature (if at all warm, it will deflate the whipped cream when it is added).

Meanwhile, chill a medium bowl. Wash and dry mixer beater(s), and chill till needed. Have ready 8 to 12 wineglasses or individual ramekins. When chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour remaining 1 cup cream into chilled medium bowl; add vanilla. Beat at high speed until cream holds a soft shape (this is before soft peak stage). Put a large spoonful of the cream into the chocolate mixture and stir in well (this will lighten and loosen the chocolate mixture a bit). Add remaining whipped cream. Working quickly, with large spatula gently but thoroughly fold whipped cream in just until no white streaks show (mousse will start to stiffen as you're folding it in). For ease in handling, turn mousse into medium pitcher; divide evenly among wineglasses or ramekins. Chill at least three hours befoe serving, covering after one hour. Store in refrigerator and serve within four days. Garnish as suggested in introduction.

8 to 12 servings

© Stephanie Zonis provides the above information to anyone, but retains copyright on all text. This means that you may not: distribute the text to others without the express written permission of Stephanie Zonis; "mirror" or include this information on your own server or documents without my permission; modify or re-use the text on this system. You MAY: print copies of the information for your own personal use; store the files on your own computer for your personal use only; reference hypertext documents on this server from your own documents.