Milk Chocolate Mousse Muffins
Silicone baking pans bake evenly and won’t rust after you wash them. They are pricey, but as a special gift for your friend or yourself, splurge! I buy a nice silicon muffin pan, use fancy baking cup liners, load them with this milk chocolate mousse, then wrap the pan up tightly with plastic wrap, tie it with a big bow, and freeze it. When you are ready to gift it, you’ll give the satisfying sweetness of a softening mousse, the convenience of muffins, and a reusable piece of kitchenware. This is an all-purpose mousse that can also be served in a dish with cookies as a simple satisfying dessert. Note: Agar is a thickener available in health food stores. It is a substitute for gelatin and suitable for vegetarians.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
Chocolate Choices:
Preparation
Step 1
Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.
Step 2
Melt the two chocolates together in a stainless steel bowl over a pan of simmering water and set aside.
Step 3
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream for 3 to 5 minutes to form stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator.
Step 4
Rinse out the mixer bowl and the whisk attachment and return them to the mixer. Combine the egg yolks and whole egg in the bowl and mix on low until the eggs are frothy. Mix in the agar.
Step 5
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 235°F on a candy or digital thermometer. Carefully add just a tiny splash of the hot syrup into the eggs, then turn the mixer on to low speed and beat for 1 minute. Add another small splash and beat for 30 seconds or so, then another, carefully and slowly incorporating all the hot sugar syrup into the eggs. Whip on medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Step 6
Take the bowl off the mixer and gradually fold in the chocolate mixture with a big rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Once the mixture is smooth, gently fold in the whipped cream, bourbon, and vanilla. Blend gently until the mousse is smooth with no streaks.
Step 7
Using a big pastry bag with a big star tip, pipe the mousse into the baking cups until they look like big ice cream cones. Chill until you are ready to serve or freeze them, then wrap them up to present as a gift.
