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It’s right around this time each year that I find myself craving a variety of decadent, chocolatey desserts. There’s just something about the Holiday season that sparks an almost insatiable appetite for indulgence. Several years ago, I was making batch after batch of Paula Deen’s Three Chocolate Cookies. Then it was sweet and salty Cowboy Cookies. Last year, my fridge was stocked with Smitten Kitchen’s Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce. This year, I’m taking things over the top. Made with just 5 ingredients, 5-Minute Chocolate Peppermint Mousse is a rich dessert with melt-in-your-mouth consistency. This mousse captures the pure flavor of chocolate spiked with just a hint of peppermint. Perfect for the Holidays, 5-Minute Chocolate Peppermint Mousse is easy to prepare yet elegant enough for any seasonal soiree. Continue reading for the recipe.
The star of this dessert is, of course, chocolate. This means that you really need to use a high quality product. Avoid Hershey’s (yes… even the “special” dark). Look for brands like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, or even Ghirardelli. Your chocolate should be at least 70% cocoa.
In this recipe, chocolate is melted with flavorings and water then whisked over an ice bath until light and creamy. Seems simple enough, right? Well it is easy; however, there are a few things that can go wrong. Luckily, all these issues are fixable, so no need to worry about ruining the $10 of chocolate you just purchased! Here are some tips and techniques that will help you master this process:
- If you find that you’ve been whisking for a little while and the chocolate is not firming up, you may need to chill your bowl more. I’ll have to admit that I encountered this issue when I first attempted this recipe. My bowls were too different in size, creating a smaller chilled surface. I tried again with two other bowls more similar in size, and the chocolate firmed up in a matter of moments. Glass or metal bowls are ideal here.
- If you over-whisk the mixture, it will become grainy. To fix, simply re-melt the chocolate, and begin the process over again.
- You can whisk the mixture by hand or with a hand mixer. A hand mixer is easier; however, it’s hard to “feel” when you’ve achieved the perfect consistency. I like making this mousse by hand, because I can feel changes in resistance. As resistance increases, I know the mousse is nearing completion.
- The ratio I used was 9 oz. of chocolate to 1 cup of liquid. Deviations from this ratio may cause issues with the consistency.
- I added 1 tablespoon of coffee liqueur to give the chocolate more depth of flavor. As a result, I needed to subtract 1 tablespoon of water from the cup. You can play around with different liquid flavorings, just be sure the total amount of liquid is 1 cup.
Here are some other flavor combinations you can try:
- Chocolate + Orange [Cointreau]
- Chocolate + Hazelnut [Frangelico, top with toasted hazelnuts]
- Chocolate + Almond [Amaretto, almond extract, top with toasted almonds]
- Chocolate + Chile [cayenne pepper]
- Chocolate + Sea Salt [top with fleur de sel]
5-Minute Chocolate Peppermint Mousse
Ingredients
- 9 oz. high quality chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), chopped
- 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon water (see note above)
- 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Candy cane shards, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a medium bowl 3/4 full with ice and water. Set a large bowl on top of the medium bowl, so the bottom of the larger bowl sits in ice water. Set aside.
- Add chocolate, water, coffee liqueur and sugar to a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted and all ingredients are combined. Add peppermint extract, stirring until combined (I added 1/4 teaspoon plus another half 1/4 teaspoon).
- Pour mixture into the prepared large bowl. Whisk until the mixture thickens. You can do this by hand or with an electric hand mixer. This should only take a couple of minutes.
- Divide mousse between four bowls (or jars), top with candy cane shards, and enjoy immediately.
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I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I adore the sounds of: 5 ingredients, 5-Minutes
YES!!
And anything that’s pepperminty and choclaty and made with Valrhona & Kahlua, count me in!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Averie! Yeah, Valrhona and Kahlua are a pretty delicious combo 🙂
Spencer says
Looks absolutely delicious! I reckon I could eat about 10 of them!
ahu says
you had me at ‘5 minute’! and chocolate + peppermint is one of my favorite combos ever. definitely trying this.
jorge says
So fluffy and delicious!
Krystal R says
I could live off 5 ingredient dishes!! This one sounds ideal and dreamy!! What a sweet way to end all of my December days! Hehe
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Krystal! Definitely a sweet treat for December.
Kim says
Thanks for this recipe. I have been craving a local cafe’s chocolate peppermint brownies all day!
Kathy - Panini Happy says
This sounds so amazing, and now you’ve got me daydreaming about Valrhona chocolate! 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
I usually get Scharffen Berger, but I thought I’d try Valrhona this time around. I wasn’t disappointed at all. So good!
lily says
This looks fantastic! So easy for entertaining – would the mousse be good if it were refrigerated for a few hours before serving?
Ava says
Love the recipe; cant wait to try!! Where did you get the little jars??
Brandon Matzek says
They are weck jars! Available at Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma and west elm at the moment.
Ann P. says
How amazing! Who could say no to valrhona chocolate mousse + peppermint + only five minutes? This could get dangerous for my waistline 🙂
kris says
Also wondering about making it ahead of time so I don’t have to make it while guests are over – will it keep in the fridge?
Thanks – so looking forward to trying this!
Brandon Matzek says
I wouldn’t recommend refrigeration for too long. The texture will change.
Mary Jo says
Just served this for Christmas dinner. Terrible. Threw out 7 of the 8 servings, wasting $25 worth of ingredients. I don’t see how this qualifies as mousse!! And I’ll eat anything that’s chocolate. Who here actually tried this???
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Mary Jo, so sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. Was it the taste or the texture?
jenn @ Peas and Crayons says
You had me at 5 minutes! I am SO MAKING THIS! Thanks!
Megan Keno says
5 minutes? I’m sold! Sounds delightful!
Carol Borchardt says
I’m not much of a dessert-maker, but 5-minutes? I can do this!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
A rich and delicious chocolate mousse in 5 minutes? I’ll take it!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
I had no idea you could make mousse in 5 minutes! This looks so easy to make and super decadent!