How to CookChocolate
A New Easy-Breezy Genius Chocolate Mousse (Psst, Greek Yogurt is Involved)
by Kristen Miglore
• February 7, 2018
• 14 Comments
Not only is this mousse quicker and more casual to make than the floofier traditional French version, but serious lovers of dark chocolate may find themselves liking it even more.
The recipe comes from Maria Speck, cookbook author and ancient grain guru, who riffed this version from one she spotted in a Greek magazine called ylikes istories (Sweet Stories). In an especially delightful move, Speck tops each cup with tiny spoonfuls of orange marmalade, which won’t at all remind you of one of those foil-wrapped chocolate oranges.
You won’t need to whip cream or egg whites, but simply stir together hot milk and chocolate to make a ganache, then fold in Greek yogurt to lighten it. The tart yogurt and total absence of cream and eggs let the fruity side of good dark chocolate really break free, for a bright, tangy mousse that won’t make you want to crawl into bed after a few spoonfuls.
Instead, the bittersweet jelly plays off the more intensely chocolatey notes and Grand Marnier (and looks pretty and gem-like on top, too). Of course, if you’re not in the mood for orange, you can strip this down to the basic mousse and stir in other spices or booze, or garnish with fresh berries or crumbled brittle or halvah, as you like.
- 6 ounces (170g) good-quality dark chocolate with 70% cacao, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon or 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other good-quality orange liquor
- 1 cup (240ml) whole Greek yogurt (2% is also okay, but don’t use nonfat)
- 4 teaspoons orange marmalade
Photos by Ren Fuller
Got a genius recipe to share—from a classic cookbook, an online source, or anywhere, really? Please send it my way (and tell me what's so smart about it) at [email protected].
The Genius Desserts cookbook is almost here! With more than 100 of the most beloved and talked-about desserts of our time (and the hidden gems soon to join their ranks) this book will make you a local legend, and a smarter baker to boot. Pre-order your signed copy here.
Comments (14)
Showing out of comments
It was fantastic made with Chambord instead of Grand Marnier. Keeping with the raspberry theme, I topped it with raspberry jam. I will also try it with Frangelico and chopped hazelnuts, Nocello and chopped walnuts..... you get the idea.
Have made this and her white chocolate version and was surprised to find that we preferred the white choc one. Somehow wc seems to work better with Greek yogurt. It’s on the V day menu, with some pomegranate seeds or raspberry sauce on top.
Use the creamiest Greek yog you can find whichever one you make!
http://mariaspeck.com/2016...
Made this on a whim tonight with a mixture of 45% milk, 78% dark, and 85% dark, coconut milk in place of whole milk, and whole greek yogurt as the recipe calls for. Tastes just as great as when I originally tested it! Such an easy and versatile recipe.
Totally having it for breakfast with some banana...
Ohhhhh breakfast... I had something else planned for this morning, but now that mousse is singing to me, LOL! Thanks for letting people know it worked with coconut milk - I'm going to give that a try next time.
thanks I will let you know how it comes out!
Can milk chocolate be substituted in this recipe?
Kristen is the Creative Director of Food52
I haven't tried it myself, but it should work just fine. Let us know how you like it, if you do try it!
This recipe is a must-try for me as I love Maria Speck AND Genius Recipes. I know that Julia's Mousse is considered the quintessential one, but, as much as I love Julia, I have always found her mousse to be cloying both in taste and texture. I much prefer the simple mousse that, I believe, Carl Sontheimer developed when the Cuisinart was first introduced, using good quality chocolate lightened with heavy cream. This one sounds like it might even be better than that. (Those of you too young to remember cannot imagine the excitement that the release of the first Cuisinart created among those of us who loved to cook at that time.) Rather than using Grand Marnier when I want an orange-flavored liqueur, I use Mathilde Orange XO. It has a slightly lighter and maybe even caramel-y taste, and I sometimes enjoy a small glass of it after dinner with a piece of very dark chocolate. While you're at it, if you're looking for a lighter version of a classic dessert, I recommend Ina Garten's Make-Ahead Zabaglione with or without the Amaretti. It's really delicious, especially served with berries.
Oh, yes, that first Cuisinart was so exciting! I still have my original, though I finally retired it in favor of a newer model. Thanks for your tips, Victoria.
Kristen is the Creative Director of Food52
Hi Victoria—thanks so much for your comment and tip on the zabaglione. You're exactly right that this mousse is the opposite of cloying.
“ylukes” is an incorrect transliteration of the Greek word for sweets. If you look at Maria’s blog post, you will see the word more correctly spelled under a photo as: My inspiration in “ylikes istories” — The letter u inserted in her text appears to be a typo using the Greek letter υ which is pronounced as a long e. Hence the Greek word for sweets, γλυκές, which is pronounced glee-kes, not glue-kes.
Okay, Greek lesson over! Now I’m eager to try making this mousse with my homemade yogurt.
Kristen is the Creative Director of Food52
Thank you for the Greek lesson! I updated the spelling in the article.
Thank you @cookbookchik. Love Greek lessons. And now I will head to my blog to correct the typo in the original post too. Let me know if you try the mousse!
Showing 14 out of 14 comments