Three Chocolate Mousse Cups Recipes

Steps:

• Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and put a cookie in the bottom of each cup. Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt and water in a large heatproof bowl. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and set the bowl on top (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until pale, fluffy and very thick (like a thick pudding), 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your bowl. Remove from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate; let cool.
• Beat 1 1/4 cups heavy cream with the sour cream in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cooled chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain, then divide evenly among the muffin cups. Cover and refrigerate until set, 12 hours or overnight.
• Run an offset spatula around each mousse cup to loosen and slide the spatula under the cookie; remove the mousse cups. (If they're too soft to remove, freeze briefly.) Beat the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream in a large bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form, then dollop onto the mousse cups and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Steps:

• For a 1.2 litre terrine, cut a strip of greaseproof paper as long as the tin and wide enough to cover the bottom and come up both long sides, with about 7.5cm to spare. Put the paper in the tin as if to line it, then draw a line across the paper on both sides where it meets the bottom edge, and the top edge, of the tin. Take the paper out of the tin and draw two lines at equal intervals between the bottom and top edge lines you have already drawn. (This will help you make each layer exactly the same depth when filling the tin.) Lightly grease the paper and use to line the tin.
• Whip a third of the cream to just soft peak stage, then chill. Melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or microwave on High for 2 mins. Whisk 2 egg yolks and 25g/1oz sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water with a hand-held electric blender for about 2-3 mins until the mixture has at least doubled in volume. Once you have reached this stage, remove the bowl from the heat and keep whisking, adding the melted chocolate - this not only incorporates the chocolate, but also cools the mixture more quickly. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then carefully fold in the whipped cream.
• Quickly whisk two egg whites into soft peaks, making sure the bowl and whisk are spotless to ensure the maximum volume is obtained. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture so you don't knock out too much air.
• Pour mixture into the terrine, filling it to first mark (any extra can be frozen), then freeze for 20-30 mins before starting the white chocolate mixture. Repeat process with white chocolate, then the plain; cover with plastic film and freeze completely. To guarantee a good set, make terrine at least 8-10 hrs or up to 2 days before.
• Dip the tin briefly in a large bowl of hot water. Put a chopping board or flat plate on top and invert the mousse. Gently remove the paper and open freeze for about 10 mins to re-set. To decorate, pipe an outline of melted plain chocolate in a teardrop shape onto each plate. Dust the plates lightly with icing sugar, then carefully fill the teardrop with cream. Slice the mousse, wiping the knife after each cut, and put a slice on each plate. Decorate with chocolate curls and serve at once.

Steps:

• Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., In another bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, Nutella and cinnamon until blended. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry shells. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving.