A Chocolate Paradise
Some people may say chocolate on chocolate is too much chocolate. I say, I don’t need those types of negative people in my life. This chocolate mousse tart is a chocolate lover’s dream, chocolate cookie crust, filled with a chocolate mousse, topped with airy chocolate whipped cream, all balanced with tart fresh and freeze-dried raspberries.
This may be my favorite recipe I’ve ever developed. I love a chocolate recipe, and this is definitely the ultimate in chocolatey goodness. It has a rich, chocolate flavor but is so light and fluffy that it doesn’t feel overly rich. The pockets of raspberry also give a nice, fresh burst of flavor, making this more of a bright, cheery dessert than a decadent, heavy treat. To be totally honest, since testing this recipe I’ve been sneaking bites of it from the fridge throughout the day, every day, sometimes even at breakfast (who says dessert can’t be had with the first meal of the day?). I could go on for days about my love of chocolate and this recipe, but this post is already shaping up to be a long one, so let’s jump-in to how to make this treat.
Recipe Details
This recipe is a bit involved and takes a bit of patience, but it’s worth every second. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream and a spectacular dessert for dinner at home. Creating a special treat for yourself or a loved one is one of the best ways to show you care. Like crafting a homemade gift or writing a loving card, cooking a meal is my favorite way to show someone I care. Putting your heart into something, it’s such a joyous experience, especially when its shared with friends, family, or a loved one.
When it comes to crafting this dessert, start with the crust. After crushing your chocolate sandwich cookies into a fine crumb, combine it with melted butter and press into a 9-inch tart tin. Refrigerate the crust for an hour, and while it’s cooling get a start on the chocolate mousse. Separate four egg yolks and mix them with a hand mixer until thickened and lightened in color. Slowly add in some sugar until well mixed and set aside while you heat up the whipping cream. Add 1 cup of cold whipping cream to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until just warm and bubbles are starting to form. Keep a close eye on the cream, as you don’t want it to boil. One warmed, ladle a large spoonful of whipping cream into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking it in to ensure the eggs don’t scramble. This process is called tempering, where you slowly bring the temperature of the eggs up so they come to a creamy consistency, and not a sugary-scrambled mess. Once tempered, add the egg mixture to the saucepan and turn the heat back to medium-low, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the mix of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates, until melted and completely mixed in. Let the chocolate mix cool in the pan until it comes to room temperature. Once cooled, whip the remaining whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Mix the whipped cream into the chocolate in batches, gently folding it in to keep as much air as possible but mixing until it’s fully incorporated and no white streaks of cream are visible. Remove the crust from the fridge, organize the fresh raspberries into the crust, leaving ½ inch – 1 inch in between each. Pipe or scoop the chocolate mousse over the raspberries, using a rubber spatula to spread the mousse to the edges of the crust and into an even layer. Leaving the tart in the tin, place it in the fridge to set and make the chocolate whipped cream.
Once the mousse has set, add the whipping cream, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar to a large bowl and whip with a hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed. Scoop the now whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and trim the bottom. Remove the tart from the fridge and take it out of the tin. Place the tart on a serving tray or plate and pipe the whipped cream in a decorative pattern across the top, leaving room for fresh raspberries if desired. Blend the freeze-dried raspberries in a high-powered blender and dust over the top of the tart. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready, adding additional raspberry dust if needed.
I would be thrilled if you gave this recipe a try! Let me know what you think and tag me in your photos!
Raspberry and Chocolate Mousse Tart
Description
A no-bake, decadently chocolate dessert with the perfect tang of raspberries. The perfect date-night-in treat.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust
Chocolate Mousse and Tart Filling
Chocolate Whipped Cream and Raspberry Dust
Instructions
Make the Crust
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In a food processor, or by hand with a rolling pin and large ziploc bag, crush the chocolate sandwich cookies until a fine crumb is formed.
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Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl and add 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Stir until the butter is fully mixed and a crumbly texture has formed. Set aside.
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Grease a 9 inch tart tin with a removable bottom with butter. Pour the cookie mixture into the tin.
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Using a spoon, your hands, or a combination of the two, gently press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan until an even layer has formed.
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Refrigerate the crust in the tin for 30 minutes to one hour.
Make the Chocolate Mousse and Fill the Tart
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Beat the 4 large egg yolks in a large bowl with a hand mixer for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium/high speed. The eggs will thicken and turn into a paler color.
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Slowly blend in the ¼ cup of granulated sugar and set the bowl aside.
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Heat 1 cup of the cold heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s just hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat when small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.
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Remove the pan from the heat and ladle half a cup of the cream into the egg mixture while continuously whisking. This will raise the temperature of the eggs, without scrambling them (called tempering). Whisk until combined.
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Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the cream and place over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, gently stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. To test, dip a plastic or wooden spoon to the mix, and carefully run your finger or another tool across the spoon. If a path is left, the cream is ready.
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Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped semisweet and bittersweet chocolate to the cream and eggs. Stir until the chocolate has melted and fully incorporated. Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and stir to combine.
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Let the mixture cool in the pan at room temperature until no longer warm to touch, about one hour.
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After the chocolate mix has cooled, beat 1 ¼ cup of whipping cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed, starting slow and increasing the speed as needed.
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Add ⅓ of the whipped cream to the chocolate, gently folding it in to keep as much air as possible. Once incorporated, add the remaining whipped cream to the mix, gently folding in to keep as much air as possible.
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Transfer the mousse to a piping bag if desired and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Remove the crust from the fridge and distribute the fresh raspberries across the bottom of the tart, leaving ½-1 inch of space between each, saving a few for decorating the tart if desired.
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Pipe or spoon the chocolate mousse over the raspberries, using a rubber spatula to bring the mousse to the edges of the crust and smooth the top.
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Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours in the tart pan.
Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream and Raspberry Dust
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In a large bowl, whip the cold whipping cream, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar with a hand held mixer, beginning at a slow speed and slowly increasing the speed to medium/high. Mix until stiff peaks are formed.
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Transfer the chocolate whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star-tip nozzle, refrigerate until ready to use.
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Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a high-powered blender and blend until a fine dust is formed.
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Remove the tart from the refrigerator and take it out of the tin and onto a serving plate. Snip the end of the piping bag of chocolate whipped cream and pipe small rosettes across the top of the tart. Decorate with extra raspberries if desired and powder the raspberry dust across the top.
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Refrigerate until ready to serve, slice, and enjoy!
