Death By Chocolate with Mocha Mousse
COCOA MERINGUE
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp sifted cocoa
1 tbsp cornstarch
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
6 oz semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg whites
2 tbsp granulated sugar
CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp all purpose flour
1 recipe Brownies -- uncooked
see SIMPLY THE BEST CHOCOLATE BROWNIES -- separate OR
use favorite recipe
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
22 oz semisweet chocolate
MOCHA MOUSSE
14 oz semisweet chocolate
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp instant coffee
2 tbsp cocoa -- sifted
5 egg whites
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream *
MOCHA RUM SAUCE
6 oz unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
8 tbsp cocoa -- sifted
3 tbsp dark rum
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 225 F.
Trace 9" circle on parchment paper, turn over so that pencil line faces
downwards, and place on baking sheet.
Prepare cocoa meringue: Place egg whites, cream of tartar in bowl, whisk until soft peaks form, add one cup sugar while continuing to whisk, and continue until stiff. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients, and use to fill a pastry bag. Pipe in a spiral to fill the circle.
Place in preheated oven, bake 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 200F and bake for 2 hours 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 45 minutes before handling.
Raise oven temp to 325F.
While meringue is baking, prepare chocolate mousse. Melt chocolate in double boiler. Remove from heat and stir until smooth - keep at room temerature until needed. Beat the cream until peaks form. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then whisk in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Add a quarter of the cream to the chocolate and whisk, then add to the egg whites. Fold in remaining cream. Refrigerate mousse until needed.
Prepare brownie layer: Grease 9"x1.5" round tin with the butter, and flour
with the 1tsp flour - shake out excess. Pour brownie mix in, place in
preheated oven and bake until toothpick comes out clean - about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to rest in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Cut in half horizontally.
Keep at room temperature until needed. Prepare ganache: Bring cream and water to a boil in a 2.5 quart saucepan. Place chocolate in a bowl, pour over boiling cream and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
Keep at room temperature until needed.
Prepare mocha mousse: Melt the chocolates, water, coffee and cocoa in a double boiler, keep at room temperature.Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, then add sugar and whisk until stiff. Whip cream until stiff. Fold 1/4 of egg whites into chocolate mix, fold in whipped cream and then remaining egg whites. Keep at room temperature.
To assemble:Place a closed 9"x3" springform tin on a baking sheet. Put in top half of chocolate brownie, top side up. Ladle 1.5 cups ganache over the
brownie. Trim the meringue with a serrated knife so that it fits snugly and
place, top side up, over the ganache, pressing down gently to eliminate air
pockets. Spoon mocha mousse on top of meringue, then top with the remaining brownie half, bottom side up. Chill cake in the freezer for 30 minutes or in refrigerator for one hour.
Remove from freezer and release from cake tin. Pour remaining ganache over cake and spread over sides. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to set the ganache.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the chocolate mousse and
pipe a circle of stars around the outside of the top of the cake, then pipe
out stars inside this circle to fill the top of the cake.
Sauce: Heat butter in 2.5 quart saucepan. When melted, add sugar, cream, cocoa, salt and 2 tbsp of the rum. Whisk to combine, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Refrigerate for at least 4 and preferably 12 hours before cutting and serving on plates flooded with mocha rum sauce.
**(said 1/4 cup in the original posting, but then referred to 3/4 cup later on - 3/4 cup sounds right and tastes pretty good, but I may well be wrong!)
