I usually *do* white tulips, but these were from my husband and they matched my desserts. I’m typically a fall girl [unless on vacation, then summer is it], but since it’s been a particularly lovely and early spring, I thought I’d share my two favorite dessert recipes to celebrate.
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Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse [Serves 4]
|| From Martha Stewart Living ||
Ingredients 4 large egg yolks // 1/4 c sugar // pinch of salt // 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder // 2 oz bittersweet chocolate // 3/4 c heavy cream
1. Chop chocolate, set aside. In double boiler, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2-3 mins. Off heat, quickly whisk in chopped chocolate until melted and cocoa until smooth. Cool to room temp.
2. In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Whisk half of whipped cream into room-temp chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with rubber spatula. Divide mousse and chill 2 hrs up to 1 day. To store, place paper towel under plastic wrap to absorb any moisture that might collect.
3. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
I garnished the mousse with whipped cream, raspberries, and store-bought butter almond cookies. I personally love this recipe. Use high quality chocolate so that the mousse comes out dark and rich. I used fancy-schmancy Guittard Chocolate 64% cacao for semisweet & bittersweet recipes… winner.
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta [Serves 8, depending on your container size]
|| adapted from Bon Appétit’s Panna Cotta w/ Berry Compote ||
Ingredients
¼ cup cold water // 2 tsps unflavored gelatin *
1.5 cups whipping cream * // 1.5 cups milk * // 1 vanilla bean split and scraped [I like using the bean, however, you can use 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, like in the Bon Appétit recipe]
Sauce**
2 half-pint raspberries // 1 tbs sugar // about 2 tbs raspberry wine (optional), I use one from Trader Joe’s
*You can play with the proportions of cream to milk, depending on how firm you want the panna cotta to be. I like it with some jiggle, so I split the difference. Also, the amount of gelatin largely affects the consistency.
**This is a personal recipe I use for finishing a multitude of things — brownies, cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, I’m even known to place a dollop in champagne. It’s my multi-tasking sauce.
1. Pour the cold water into a small custard cup, sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften, about 15 minutes. Bring 1 inch water in small skillet to a boil. Place cup with gelatin in water. Stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove (carefully) from heat.
2. Combine cream, milk, vanilla, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over med heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Remove bean from mixture and discard. Mix in gelatin. Divide pudding mixture among containers. Cover and chill, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
3. Crush raspberries through strainer (put aside about 3 raspberries per container for garnish) with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with sugar and wine. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
4. Spoon sauce over pudding before serving. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves if you like.
This is my go-to recipe we have guests over. It’s simple and easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. People ask me for the recipe every time.
|| Photos by Tish ||
