Can I make this Chocolate Orange Mousse in advance?

Yes! This Chocolate Orange Mousse is the perfect make-ahead dessert. If I am making it for a dinner party, I whip it up in the morning, then chill it until the evening (then top with meringue if choosing to do so). It is best to consume it within 3 days though (not that it ever lasts that long in my fridge!).

Does this Chocolate Orange Mousse contain raw eggs?

Yes, this Chocolate Mousse recipe does contain raw eggs but, provided you use eggs stamped with the British Lion mark, they should be safe to eat. You only need to take extra caution if you are making for someone with a compromised immune system (see recipe note).

What can I serve with this Chocolate Orange Mousse?

This Chocolate Orange Mousse is simply perfect as it is. If you aren't doing the brown sugar meringue topping but want to make it a little more special, dust with a little icing sugar before serving or top with a quenelle (a pretty spoonful) of whipped cream or a sprinkling of seasonal berries (raspberries, cherries and/or strawberries are particularly delicious).

Do I have to add the Brown Sugar Meringue topping?

No you don't! See the image below, I served it in a large bowl and set in the fridge overnight. Then decorated with little blobs of whipped cream, fruit, mint and orange zest and it's delicious. No need to make the meringue even if I do think it looks stunning.

Chocolate Orange Mousse

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Deliciously rich chocolate mousse with a touch of orange and an (optional) brown sugar meringue topping piled high.

Author: Margie Nomura
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Setting Time: 6 hours to overnight
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes + chill time
Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Category: Pudding
Method: Fridge set
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Orange Mousse:

250g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
140ml double cream
2 large yolks
Zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
6 large egg whites
40g caster sugar
Salt

For the brown sugar meringue:

4 egg whites
220g soft light brown sugar

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Instructions

For the mousse:

Carefully cut the top off 6 oranges and scoop out them out, scraping the sides. Save the juice.
Place the chocolate in a large bowl and heat over a pan of simmering water (taking care that the bowl doesn’t touch the water beneath) until nearly melted or pop in the microwave for 30 second bursts until nearly melted. Stir well each time you remove from the microwave after a 30 second burst.
Add the cream to a saucepan and place over gentle medium heat. Heat the cream to just a gentle simmer with small bubbles foaming at the edge but not boiling.
Add the warm cream to the semi-melted chocolate and stir until it’s smooth and glossy.
Allow to cool a little, then stir in the egg yolk, orange zest and orange juice.
Beat the whites with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and beat again until glossy.
Using a metal spoon, carefully fold a large spoon of egg whites in to the chocolate mix, and beat together. This will loosen it. Then pour this chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites and fold together gently, avoiding knocking any air out of the whites.
Nestle the oranges into a baking dish so that they stay upright. Pour the mousse into the oranges. Or pour mousse into a large bowl and leave to set in the fridge. The oranges will need less time to set, around 4 hours to overnight whereas the large bowl will need at least 8 hours to overnight.

For the meringue:

This is totally optional but I thought it looked gorgeous and added an extra element to the mousse and made it a little more original.
Add the egg whites to a large, clean bowl and whisk until foamy and bubbly. Then add the soft light brown sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well in between. Keep going until all the sugar is added and the meringue is smooth and glossy. If you pinch a little meringue mixture between your fingers, you shouldn’t feel any grains of sugar. You want it totally dissolved.
Pipe on top of the chocolate mousse or spoon and smooth. Then use a blowtorch to brown the top and set it slightly. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

The mousse will sit happily in the fridge for a few days, but I would top them with meringue when you want to eat them. This type of meringue has a habit of weeping when it's in the fridge so you won't be as good if left in the fridge

Don't be tempted to slosh in a whole load of orange juice or it will affect the way the chocolate mousse sets. These have a light orange flavour - if you want a more intense flavour, add more zest but just be careful with adding too much liquid. You can add zest to the brown sugar meringue which is very nice too. You can also be less vigorous than I have been with the way you scoop out the oranges - if you leave a little of the orange flesh in the skins, this also works really well as you get a bite of orange when you scoop out the mousse.

If you choose not to serve it in the oranges, and opt for little pots, you can serve with segments of oranges or little clementine pieces on the top for a little pop of orange. Very delicious!

The orange chocolate mousse is excellent on it's own even without the meringue topping

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/chocolate-orange-mousse/