Many years ago, when my friend Wendy and I were single moms renavigating a rocky world of dating and relationships, we dreaded Valentine’s Day. It was especially hard on Wendy, who then worked for a major department store.

For her, the first two weeks of February meant a daily assault of material icons that represented nothing more than unfulfilled romantic expectations.
For me, it meant weaving my way through that commercial Cupid’s maze to reach her in her office and then find our way out, psyches unscathed, for say, drinks and dinner.

We cringed at those manikins dressed in lacy pink teddies. We slunk past glittery promises of rings and bracelets displayed on jewelry counters and dodged fragrance purveyors’ blasts of Beautiful and Eternity.

I called it the holiday that made women unhappy and men wrong.
“It’s a set up.” I said.

Wendy agreed. “I don’t even know what I want,” she said. “I just know I’ve never gotten it.”

Mercifully, wisdom can come with age. I ‘ve long abandoned those consumer-driven notions of romance and know the answer to be simple: Chocolate.

For who, WHO wouldn’t feel happy and right and loved when presented with a sublime mound of chocolate mousse!

Here’s a basic recipe that I’ve had forever, and updated slightly: Back in the early ‘70’s, we didn’t know about—or have access to—the super bittersweet chocolate; M.F.K. Fisher’s recipe called for semi-sweet.

Yes, there’s some careful chocolate melting and the call for Egg Magic: studious separating, patient beating, deft folding. Still, it can all be accomplished in thirty minutes. In individual glasses, the mousse chills quickly.

One beauty of the recipe is that if you want other flavor nuances–orange, raspberry, or hazelnut, for instance, it’s no problem to lace them in.

Another is, it makes a lot. Six-to-eight servings. Much better to share the love.

Your Basic Wonderful Chocolate Mousse adapted from The Cooking of Provincial France, by M.F.K.Fisher with editors of Time-Life Books, 1969

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 T. sweet butter, cut into small pieces
3 T. espresso, or strong coffee
1 T. vanilla
2 T. cognac, or brandy
4 farm fresh eggs, separated
¼ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream, lightly sweetened and whipped

In a heavy 1 qt. saucepan under low heat, melt the chocolate and coffee together.
Whisk in the vanilla and brandy. Then, stir in the butter, one chunk at a time, until it becomes smooth and shiny. Remove from heat.

Using an electric mixer with a balloon whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the yolks become really pale yellow and thickened, almost triple in volume. This will take several (at least 5) minutes. The yolks will cling to the whisk.
Check your chocolate mixture; it should be warm—but not hot.
Beat it into the thickened egg yolks; the mixture will seem like chocolate mayonnaise.
Pour this into another large mixing bowl.
Clean and dry your mixer bowl and whisk. Beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy. Fold about ¼ of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites.

Spoon into 6-8 pretty martini glasses (or whatever individual serving pieces you like) and chill for at least 3 hours.
Top with a dollop of whipped cream, garnish with chocolate shavings.

1. CZ Says:
   February 12th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

   Love Wendy’s quote, it’s so true. I feel the same way.

2. Barbara Says:
   February 13th, 2009 at 8:10 am

   I have so much enjoyed your website! Not only do I love your recipes, but your clever, funny, and very creative anecdotes make me laugh and make my day!

3. mark Says:
   February 13th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

   beautiful! I want mousse!

4. Deb Fisher Says:
   February 14th, 2009 at 7:08 am

   A whole new meaning for “chocolate kiss.” This looks fabulous. Love the photos, LOVE the blog.

5. rhonda Says:
   February 15th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

   And, Rhonda agreed “I don’t even know what I want, I just know I’ve never gotten it.”.

   Until, Nancy showed up at a friend’s birthday party with chocolate brownies……and it got pretty dang close!!

6. Heather Says:
   February 25th, 2009 at 6:00 am

   I love your stories! They make me laugh. I look forward to the next one and the next one and the next……

7. Dana Says:
   December 24th, 2010 at 10:59 am

   This Christmas I decided to pull out my old Time Life book (I had saved the Provincial France book for this recipe alone) but apparently over the years of attritian, it has attritianed out of my life. I became fierce with the desire for this mousse and googled “Time Life Chocolate Mousse” and up came this recipe. A Christmas miracle. Bless your heart.

8. Dana Says:
   December 24th, 2010 at 11:00 am

   P.S. it is one of my favorite recipies because it can be molded – makes for a stunning presentation.

9. Madeleine Says:
   February 15th, 2011 at 1:52 pm

   I love this recipe! It’s so easy and SO delicious! Perfect treat for Valentine’s Day. And I’m extra excited because we still have some for a treat tonight!

10. Good Food Matters » Blog Archive » Some of Dad’s Favorites Says:
    June 18th, 2013 at 5:57 am

    [...] I decide on his chocolatey treat, before formulating the rest of the menu. Sometimes I make mousse; sometimes, pots de cremes. Last year, I made chocolate [...]

11. Good Food Matters » Blog Archive » Hearts of Dark Chocolate Says:
    May 10th, 2014 at 6:57 am

    [...] time, I made her fluffy mousse in martini glasses and for her 80th, it was that Amazonian multi-chocolate layered [...]