Chocolate Hazelnut mousse

Ok... it's been ages since I last posted... in fact, almost a year! bad bad dee! but here we go again and hopefully, I can keep momentum... Anyway, this recipe is a rather drool worthy way kick starting this blog.

Here's what you need:


2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
200g bittersweet chocolate, melted and kept lukewarm
1/3 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

• Heat 2/3 cup of cream in small saucepan until it just begins to steam. 
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, and then add ½ hot cream, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thoroughly combined. 
• Add the warm egg-cream blend back into the hot cream in the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 165 degrees on a digital candy thermometer ( I just stirred this it thickened). 
• Remove from the heat and stir in the hazelnut liquor and melted chocolate. 
• Chill the chocolate custard thoroughly. 
• Beat remaining 1 1/3 cups of cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. 
• Thoroughly stir ½ cup of the whipped cream into the chilled chocolate custard, and then gently fold in the remaining cream. 
• The chocolate mousse is ready when the chocolate custard is thoroughly incorporated into the whipped cream, and no marbling shows. 
• Chill for a couple of hours.
• Serve chilled garnished with toasted hazelnuts.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: this is a deliciously rich mousse so keep serving sizes small. :)
Recipe from about.com.