Well it’s Valentine's day and I just had to make this chocolate mousse. I haven’t made chocolate mousse in a long time but I don’t recall making it like this so I thought I’d give it a try.

I used a 72% dark chocolate and it could use a bit more than 2 tablespoons sugar, I would say 3-4, but if you use the 60% cacao the recipe below should be fine.

Wish you all a LOVEly day :)

Chocolate Mousse with Roasted Hazelnuts

3/4 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar, divided (see note above)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (60-72% cacao), chopped
2 large egg whites
Chocolate shavings
Roasted Hazelnuts (Recipe Below)

Beat 1/2 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover and chill.

Combine egg yolks, espresso, salt, and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a large metal bowl. Set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is lighter in color and almost doubled in volume and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 160 degrees, about 1 minute.

Remove bowl from pan. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until room temperature.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg white in another medium bowl on medium speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually beat in remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until firm peaks form.

Fold egg whites into chocolate in 2 additions; fold whipped cream into mixture just to blend.

Divide mousse among six teacups or 4-oz. ramekins. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Mousse can be made 1 day ahead; cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Before serving, whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form; dollop over mousse. Top with chocolate shavings and crushed roasted hazelnuts.

Roasted Hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and wrap hazelnuts in a towel, allow to sit for 10 minutes or so, then rub and shake off loose skins. To crush I generally place them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a meat pounder.

Adapted from Bon Appetit