Here’s an idea for presentation: chocolate mousse spoons. Everyone gets some mousse, plus another dessert. Or, pass these with after-dinner coffee. Photo © DallasEventsInc | Dreamstime.
April 2010
Last Updated October 2018
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Chocolate Mousse Garnish
Page 3: Presentation & Garnishing
After you’ve made your chocolate mousse recipe, how should you best present it? This is Page 3 of a three-page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Presentation
Traditionally mousse was served from a serving dish or individually in ramekins or petit pots, small ceramic pots with lids. But with today’s focus on presentation, you can make it much more exciting.
- Serve mousse in a martini glass.
- Use a stylish juice glass (see photo on Page 1).
- Try mousse “spoons” (photo above), which can be part of a multi-course dessert, or passed on a tray with after-dinner coffee.
Chocolate Mousse Garnishes
Julia Child served her chocolate mousse classic French-style, garnished with candied orange peel (recipe below) and crème anglaise or whipped cream, passed in a bowl so people could help themselves.
While many people are happy with a dab of whipped cream, consider these options:
Candy
- Candied orange peel (regular or chocolate-covered—recipe below)
- Chocolate-covered coffee beans
- Napolitan or chocolate disk, inserted at an angle
Cream
- Crème fraîche and berry
- Flavored whipped cream
Fruit & Nuts
- Berry (blackberry, raspberry, strawberry) and mint leaf or rosemary sprig
- Bing cherry with stem (in season)
- Caramelized banana slice
- Candied pecan or walnut half
- Chopped nuts
- Edible Flowers
- Gooseberry or other exotic fruit
- Milk chocolate or white chocolate curls or chopped chocolate
Glazed/Candied Orange, Lemon Or Grapefruit Peel
Ingredients
- 5 lemons, 3 bright-skinned oranges or
2 grapefruits
- 1 quart simmering water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- Candy thermometer
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Orange peel is delicious plain or dipped in chocolate. Photo courtesy Elaine Hsieh Chocolatier. |
Preparation
- PEEL. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut into julienne strips 1-1/2 inches long and 1/16 inch wide.
- SIMMER. Simmer in water for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just tender when bitten. Drain. Refresh in cold water. Dry on paper towels.
- BOIL. Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan to the thread stage, 230°F on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Stir in the peel and the vanilla and let stand in the syrup for at least 30 minutes.
- DRAIN. Drain when ready to use. Under refrigeration the peel will keep in the syrup for several weeks.
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You can dip entire peel in chocolate, or just the ends. Photo courtesy Elaine Hsieh Chocolatier. |
Recipe adapted from Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Other material
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Any images are the copyright of their respective owners.
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