Chocolate mousse with candied orange

What better way to say ‘ I Love You’ than with a deliciously decadent chocolate mousse.  The candid orange adds a subtle depth of flavour and little crunch!

Serves 2 generous portions.

Ingredients

100g good quality dark chocolate (anything over 70%)
90ml milk
30g icing sugar
130ml whipping cream
½  teaspoon vanilla
1 orange
50g sugar
50ml water
Extra caster sugar for coating

Method

Warm the milk in a saucepan until it reaches boiling point and take off the heat. Break the chocolate into chunks and place in the pan of milk, leave for a minute and then gently whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and combined with the milk.

While the chocolate milk mixture is cooling whip the cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar together to form firm soft peaks, don’t over whip.

Pour the cooled chocolate sauce over the cream and fold in gently, trying to keep as much air in as possible.

Once fully mixed pour into 2 pots and chill for at least 4 hours. This can be made the the day before and will keep fine in the fridge.

For the candid orange peel use a citrus zester or vegetable peeler and shred long strips of peel.

Place the strips in a sauce pan coved with cold water and bring to the boil, drain and repeat twice more with fresh water.

Finally place the sugar in the pan with the water and stir, bring to a gentle boil stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the orange peel, reduce the heat and gently simmer for about 30 minutes until translucent. Make sure this only gently simmers or it will burn!

Remove from the heat and let the peel cool in the syrup.

Transfer the strips to a wire rack, place the rack over a sheet of baking parchment, as the peel will drip. Roll the peel in the caster sugar and put back on the wire rack to dry for an hour.

This can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and placed on the mousse when ready to serve.

I made mine in heart shaped moulds for an extra valentines touch!

Kirsty Wilson Close

Instagram  kirsty_in_the_kitchen

Food Styling, Food Writing, Food Lover