Ingredients

Serves 6

  • 110g good quality dark chocolate (we use 54% Callebaut)
  • 110ml cream
  • 1-2 tablespoons Jamaica rum, brandy, or
  • Grand Marnier, or 1 teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • pouring cream
  • 6 almond macaroons (see recipe)


Almond Macaroons

Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux is famous for macarons. The crisp macarons are sold on sheets of rice paper. Look out for Nadia Fermigier for the 'veritable macarons'. These are so simple to make and can easily keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container.

Makes 12-16
These are so simple to make and can easily keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container. They are also coeliac friendly.

  • 110g ground almonds
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Method

  1. Chop the chocolate finely. Bring the cream up to the boil, turn off the heat, add the chocolate to the cream and stir it around until the chocolate melts in the cream.
  2. Add in the alcohol, if using, and whisk in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until just stiff, then stir in a quarter of the egg white, fold in the rest, gently, being careful not to knock all the air out.
  3. Pour the mousse into a glass or cup and pop into the fridge for an hour or two to set. Serve with pouring cream and almond macaroons.

Note: This is great without the macaroon too, just as a plain chocolate mousse. For a really intense chocolate mousse, leave the two beaten egg whites out and serve in tiny espresso cups. Little amaretti biscuits are also really good here, instead of the almond or coconut macaroons.

Almond Macaroons

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
  2. Put the ground almonds, caster sugar and the egg whites into a bowl and stir to combine. It should be softish.
  3. Roll small dessertspoonful's of the mixture into balls and place on a baking tray lined with rice paper. Flatten slightly with a wet fork, they will spread.
  4. Cook for about 10 minutes or until pale golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Non-Traditional variations: These are also good with the grated zest of 1 lemon or orange mixed in with the coconut/almonds and sugar. Desiccated coconut may also be used instead of ground almonds to make coconut macaroons in the above recipe.

Chocolate Saint-Émilion

  1. St. Émilion in Bordeaux is famous for macaroons as well as wine. This is a favourite dessert in many of the restaurants and cafés in the picturesque town.
  2. Pop one or two macaroons into individual glass or china ramekins, spoon a tablespoon of good brandy or rum over the top.
  3. Fill the ramekins 3/4 full with the chocolate mousse. Cover and leave overnight. Next day, serve with lots of thick pouring cream.