Is it February already? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I feel like I just finished putting away all of my holiday platters and decorative place settings! But of course, as a culinary enthusiast, I don’t really need an excuse to create a delicious meal or decorate – and Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to celebrate your special love, or in my case – loves! I love celebrating my 4 boys – the hubby, my two little boys and our precious little Yorkie, Pilaf.

Not that I ever need a reason to make anything with chocolate, but Valentine’s Day is truly the best kind of holiday where chocolate is not only expected, but a necessity. You can’t go wrong with chocolate, and your guests will leave happy, and maybe a little chubbier.

There are countless of chocolate dessert options to choose from when creating your Valentine’s Day menu, but we think our Dark Chocolate Mousse garnished with fresh berries will be a total hit at your table, and everyone will surely feel the love.

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Berries

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
Pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
6 ounces (170g) quality dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
Fresh berries, for garnish

In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites and salt into soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue whipping to stiff peaks. Set this aside as you begin to whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract to soft peaks – set this aside when finished.

Place the chopped chocolate in a large metal bowl over a pan of gently simmering water – be careful not to get any water into the chocolate as you are melting it or else it will seize. If you are unsure if you’ve melted it fully, you can run the mousse through a wire mesh strainer before spooning into the serving vessels. Remove the chocolate from the heat once it is fully melted and whisk in the whipped egg whites. Fold the whipped cream using a rubber spatula.

Spoon the mousse into serving vessels and chill for about one hour or overnight. Serve garnished with fresh berries and enjoy!