Mousse

Although trends come and go, chocolate mousse never fails to impress. Not only does it manage to convey both indulgence and comfort, it couldn't be simpler to make. This version is a true classic mousse in that the eggs are not cooked. You'll find it unbelievably smooth and voluptuous.

Judging by the incredulous, delighted looks on the food editors’ faces when they swallowed their first spoonful of what is essentially cold, airy, whipped lemonade, this 19th-century dessert deserves a renaissance. The warm, sunny sweetness of basil infuses the accompanying custard sauce.

Tangy lemon curd and a white chocolate ganache are each folded with whipped cream to form airy mousses. They're layered here with pretty sliced strawberries, but any berry or soft ripe fruit will work.

You will not regret investing in a set of coeur à la crème dishes, as this is the most captivating of summer desserts, and can be varied all season according to what fruits are available.

With chocolate mousse this good and this easy, you can give your guests a delicious start to the new year!

In an intriguing play on the combination of chocolate and chiles, this rich mousse gets its faint tingle from Sichuan peppercorns.

This egg-free mousse packs punchy raspberry flavor.

The trick here is that instead of beating egg whites into peaks, you whip the chocolate and egg together in a blender. Salmonella from underdone eggs is rare, but if you're concerned about partly uncooked yolks, skip this for the kids and save it for the adults.

Either bittersweet or semisweet chocolate will give great results, but bittersweet will pack more intense chocolate flavor.

We imagine that biting into a cloud would be a lot like savoring a mouthful of this mousse, which dissolves gently into traces of coconut on the tongue. After the extravaganza of ingredients in the meal, this single-note dessert tastes so right.

This recipe is based on one from senior food editor Sarah Tenaglia's mom.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Greg Case's and Keri Fisher's One Cake, One Hundred Desserts. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. One of the best things about this mousse is that it's very simple, with only a handful of ingredients and a few steps. Yet the mousse is so versatile—not to mention so tasty—you'll soon find yourself whipping some up to fill a graham cracker crust for chocolate mousse pie, or to serve on its own, topped with some fresh raspberries for an elegant dessert. Or you could just eat it right out of the bowl with a soupspoon, as we do. Be careful when combining the chocolate and the whipped cream. Whipping the cream adds lots of air and volume to it, and overworking it when adding to the chocolate will allow all that air to escape (and then you'll have chocolate sauce, not mousse.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Jacques Torres's Dessert Circus at Home. The first time I ever saw a moose was in Atlanta. Kris and I were in an antiques store. I saw antlers out of the corner of my eye and wondered if there was a real moose in the store. I am sad to tell you that while he was real, he was not alive. I promised myself I would visit a place where I would be able to see moose in their natural habitat. I think they are such magnificent animals and I adore their comical faces. I'm making this moose until I get to see them for real!

Mousse au Chocolat Noir Chocolate mousse is a standard bistro dessert, in part because it's so easy and quick to serve. Here it is in its classic form: chocolate and butter melted together, cooled slightly, and combined with egg yolks; then whipped cream and sweetened egg whites are gently folded into the mixture. In France, they would serve chocolate mousse from a big bowl, scooped onto a plate with some cookies. At Bouchon, we serve it in lidded pot de crème molds with langues de chat cookies.

The sweet and tangy apricot sauce that anchors this dessert is a nod to the spoon sweets — fruit preserves that are eaten from small spoons — traditionally served in Greece to arriving guests.