Egg Free Chocolate Mousse with Brandied Cherries

Who brings chocolate mousse to a Labor Day picnic? Why me, of course!!! This Egg Free Chocolate Mousse with Brandied Cherries has a smooth consistency and dense chocolate flavor.

Egg Free Chocolate Mousse

While you can still find fresh cherries, make sure to try these irresistible brandied cherries as a garnish…they’d be perfect on ice cream as well. We often gather with our friends and neighbors on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. And everyone who knows me will not be surprised that I volunteer to bring dessert.

Since I’ll be feeding my family, too, I like to involve chocolate. This cool and creamy dessert is perfect for any gathering at any time. Just keep in chilled in a cooler or refrigerator till serving time. If serving a crowd, this mousse can be made in a larger serving dish instead of individual containers.

What makes this mousse different, and safer, is the lack of raw eggs in the recipe. Instead of using eggs, gelatin is used to stabilize the mousse. If you’ve worked with plain gelatin before, you remember that you need to soften it in liquid, then gently heat it to bring it to a liquid form. Once this gelatin is added to the mousse ingredients, chilling will allow the mousse to gel. 

Raw eggs are notorious as a source of salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning. If you are serving desserts containing raw eggs, they shouldn’t be given to the elderly, very young or those with immunosuppression. So having alternative recipes that don’t use raw eggs is crucial.  This mousse may not be a true mousse due to the addition of gelatin, but it sure is a tasty chocolate dessert recipe!

You might also enjoy this Marquise au Chocolat, Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart, or this Frozen Chocolate Mousse Cake.

Continue to Content

Print

The Recipe:

Egg Free Chocolate Mousse with Brandied Cherries

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 6 servings

Egg free chocolate mousse topped with drunken cherries

Ingredients

For brandied cherries (adapted from Cooks.com)

• 1 pound Bing or other sweet cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup Kirsch (cherry brandy) or brandy
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract

For Mousse (adapted from Alton Brown)

• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream, divided
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces espresso (or strong coffee)
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon plain gelatin (I used Knox brand)

Instructions

To make brandied cherries:

1. Combine cherries, brandy and cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly till mixture boils and thickens, and cherries are tender. Remove from heat and mix in almond extract.
2. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To make mousse:

1. In a microwave safe bowl combine chocolate, espresso, Kahlua and butter. Microwave using 30 second increments, stopping and stirring till smooth and melted.Cool, stirring occasionally till slightly warmer than room temperature.
2. Pour 1/4 cup whipping cream into a metal measuring cup and sprinkle in the gelatin and allow it to soften for 10 minutes. Then carefully heat the mixture over the flame of a gas burner (or candle), swirling till dissolved, but do not boil. Stir mixture into the cooled chocolate and set aside.
3. In the chilled mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream to medium peaks. Stir a quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture without overworking the mousse.
4. Spoon into bowls or martini glasses and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve with brandied cherries if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 737Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 5gSugar: 60gProtein: 6g

Calories include using 1/6 of the brandied cherries. Most likely, you'll use fewer cherries.

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest