Chocolate Orange Mousse

Channeling the Swedish chef up in here! It's nearly the weekend, so I thought I'd conjure up a little treat.

I love recipes that use some random ingredient to make something totally unlike the original product. This chocolate mousse is everything one could want: bubbly, thick, rich, and deeply flavourful.

And where does the perfect texture come from? Marshmallows! So, no faffing around with egg whites, this is pure divine inspiration.

I have made it a lot in the past, in plain chocolate flavour, as well as chocolate mint, which all work deliciously. The chocolate mint is a perfect after-dinner treat, but the chocolate orange is a big hug in a cup.

If I am being fancy, I will use these lovely glass honeycomb mugs that my mum has been known to kindly lend me. 

The mint version - my mum has the best things!

In the absence of those, I used some mini paper cups leftover from Christmas. A pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon in the recipe could really increase the festiveness if made in winter! Espresso mugs also work well, or small glasses, as well as ramekins.

Makes 4-6, depending on how large you want them!

Adapted from my Nigella

Ingredients

• 150g marshmallows
• 50g soft butter
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100g chocolate orange
• 60 ml water from a recently boiled kettle, still warm
• Juice and zest of one medium orange
• 284 ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar

Method

Chop the marshmallows into two or three bits, then place the marshmallows, butter, both types of chocolate and water in a pan. Zest and juice the orange, and add in too.

Put over a gentle heat, to allow everything to melt together, stirring every now and again.

..fire burn and cauldron bubble.

 It is done when the mixture is smooth and uniform in consistency.

Take off the heat and set aside.

In another bowl, whip the cream with the sugar until you get stiff peaks.

Fold this into the cooling marshmallow chocolate mixture.

Pour into your preferred receptacle, and cover with cling film. I usually do the pouring with a ladel, but make sure to scrape the bottom of it off, or there will be drips.

Chill in the fridge until you want them, I find that it takes a few hours to firm up. When firm on top, I pop a halved slice of chocolate orange on them, for a flourish!