It’s that time of year when I lift my head and say, “Holy crap. It’s the end of the year already?” From Thanksgiving till New Year’s I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cakes and pies, biscotti and trifles, I’m always cooking something for a holiday party or family gathering. So in honor of this time of year, I’ll be posting some of my favorite recipes to give you all some ideas for your next event.
We have a few diabetics in my family, so I always make something that is sugar-free and this recipe quickly became a favorite. The best part about this recipe is its versatility. You can use it as a pie, in a trifle, as a cake filling, or even on its own in a pretty glass topped with whipped cream. The possibilities are endless, so enjoy!
Sugar-free Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water 7 egg whites
1 packet gelatin 3/4 cup of Stevia (this is my favorite sugar substitute)
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream 9 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Whichever is your favorite.
Recipe:
Fill a pot with about one inch full of water and set it to simmer.
In a small bowl sprinkle the packet of gelatin over the 1/4 cup of room temperature water and set it aside to activate.
In a separate bowl melt the chocolate and set aside to cool.
In another bowl whip the heavy whipping cream to a stiff peak. Cover and set in the refrigerator until needed.
In yet another bowl (yes, there are a lot of bowls used for this recipe) you will combine your eggs and sugar substitute. If you want a regular chocolate mousse, replace the Stevia with regular sugar. Easy, I know! Place this bowl over the simmering water and whisk for three minutes. Do not pause in your whisking or else you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
Add the gelatin to the egg mixture and whisk to melt the gelatin. With a Kitchen-Aid or hand mixer, whip this until thick and cloud-like. The Stevia prevents a nice glossy peak, so whip until firm, but don’t let the meringue become grainy.
Fold the meringue into the chocolate until well combined. Then add the whipped cream into the chocolate/meringue mixture until well combined.
Pour mousse into your desired container, cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least two hours for the mousse to set. If you don’t cover the mousse, a weird skin will form no the top. Yeah, I wouldn’t want that either.
I make this recipe the night before and it works great.
Happy holidays and happy eating!