CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY & BRANDY MOUSSE: free of fat/egg yolks, skinnier, no-bake, make ahead, indulgence

Dieters' Delight dairy & yolk-free chocolate mousse...but healthy doesn't mean insipid!

updated 7/23

Light but intensely chocolatey mousse with raspberries in brandy;
 sweet pastry biscuits and berry cream are optional

In a lifetime of great food, the most memorable is a sensational dark chocolate mousse with raspberries crushed in brandy.  OK, part of what made it so mind-blowing was the private dining room of the Royal Opera House with a platonic companion, one of the 'great and good'.  But the mousse sparked a life-long love affair with high-end chocolate.

This Fathers' Day recipe is especially for Granddads.  It's a healthier version of that glorious concoction, though no less delicious and silky.  It's dairy-free, has no egg yolks and only a small amount of added sugar.

That doesn't mean it's healthy -- there's too much chocolate for that -- but it's so rich, portion control is easy.  And you don't leave the table feeling you need to waddle away.  

Most people find the mousse fabulous completely unadorned.   But for special occasions, accompany with a bowl of sweetened whipping cream rippled with berries plus rows of Sweet Pastry Biscuits ( Slightly Healthier Sweet Pastry ). 

The mousse is easily put together and can be made a day in advance.

Cost: around £8.00ish (7/23) PLUS costs of biscuits & cream
Feeds: a group

Ingred:
   
    150gm/5.2oz 70% dark chocolate (67 likes M&S for this)
     
     6 egg whites (keep 4 yolks for pastry biscuits; the remainder will freeze)
     pinch of salt
     1/4 tsp lemon juice

     1 tsp vanilla extract

     35g caster sugar
      
     150-200gms raspberries

     min 1 tsp sugar, to taste

     2-4 tablespoons good brandy (orange juice for kids)

Garnishes: Whipping cream or plant or dairy yoghurt, Sweet Pastry Biscuits (link above)

    

Method:

RASPBERRY & WHISKEY EASY-BAKE CHEESECAKE , an indulgence

Being able to make this light lovely easy-bake cheesecake 48 hours before needed is a bonus...

Indulgent dark chocolate oats, cloud-like filling & whiskey soaked raspberries.   
'Yummy!!' Tasters

The gorgeous colours of this easy-bake cheesecake with raspberries makes it a natural for Valentine's Day but the addition of whiskey and crunchy chocolate hobnobs adds a touch of Burns Night.

This is not a dessert for vegans.  It's rich with dairy -- cream cheese, yoghurt and soured cream.  It has eggs, too, and more sugar than is usual for 67 desserts, though quantities have been slightly reduced.  

The baked cheesecake produces a fluffy, almost cloud-like body that somehow provides a delicate heft.  Unlike most cheesecake bases, this one is thin and crispy.

Properly chilled, it is unbelievably good.

It is a definite indulgence - calorifically and financially, even if you take advantage of some the cream cheese bargains in the supermarkets.

But it is a dessert intended for special occasions and, with the filling being rather deep, it will go far.

Cost: £6-7
Serves: 10

Base:
    200g/7oz dark chocolate hobnobs
      60g/2.1 oz unsalted butter, melted


Filling:
   480g/17oz full-fat cream cheese (67 used Duchy organic; Philadelphia will be fine)
   160ml plain yoghurt (not too thick)
    1 tsp vanilla extract 
    3 yolks from med free range eggs

     3 egg whites from med free-range eggs, separated
     100g/3.5oz caster sugar
       
Topping:
   250-300ml soured cream

Garnish:
   150gm/5.2oz raspberries, 1/2 mashed, the rest quartered, mixed with a tablespoon or two of sugar & whisky
    
Method:

DARK MOCHA BROWNIES, Indulgence, slightly healthier

Dense mocha Brownies with a 67 twist....

Thanks to  flu brain, forgot to photograph 67's brownies before they were eaten
Photo courtesy of The Daily Telegraph  licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
'Loved them so much made animal noises!' Tasters

Easter is not Easter without a good hit of chocolate, whether in the form of chocolate eggs and figurines or a wicked dessert.  

These super sensational brownies (adapted from Diana Henry of the Daily Telegraph) definitely fall into the wicked category.  But because 67's guests included someone with sugar problems, damage was reduced by cutting sugar and increasing fibre.  67 also halved the amount of icing.  Smaller portions also helped.  

The results were still gorgeous.  The brownies were intensely dark in flavour with the expresso undertone intensifying the chocolateness.  67 thought the icing might be gilding the lily but in fact added a welcome touch of chocolatey slitheriness to the fudgy cake-like texture. 

For gooey brownies, bake just 25 mins - the centre will be a bit wet but produce a fudgy texture.  For more cake-like brownies, bake a further 5 mins.  67 plans to make this in a larger pan,  cook it for less time and will report in due course.
   
It's unlikely that children will enjoy these brownies but Tips (below) provide a link to stuffed chocolate cake/cupcakes that are so easy, the kids can make them.  It will keep the kids out of your hair while providing plenty of fun.

Cost: £4
Makes: one 20cmx20cm/8inchx8inch pan, say 12-15 portions

Ingreds:
    2 tbsp expresso powder mixed with 1.5 tbsp boiling water

   110gm/3.8oz unsalted butter, very soft
   200gm/7.05oz soft brown sugar +
     50gm/1.8oz ground almonds or dried unsweetened coconut OR
           250gm/8.8oz soft brown sugar

   5 med eggs, well beaten

   2 tsp vanilla

   50gm/1.8oz plain white flour +
   37.5gm/1.3oz wholemeal flour  
      (OR 100gm/3.5oz plain flour)     
   30gm/1.05oz cocoa powder (not hot chocolate)

   50gm/1.8oz coarsely chopped 70% chocolate or commercial chocolate chunks
   75gm/2.6oz coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
2. Place a strip of greaseproof paper long enough to extend up the sides in  the centre of a 20cmx20cm/8inx8in square pan; grease the unlined sides 
3. Put expresso mixture to one side
4. Beat butter until takes on a whipped appearance; beat in sugars gradually until pale & fluffy - it'll take a few minutes
5. Gradually beat in eggs, little by little - the batter may look a bit curdled but will be ok 
6. Beat in vanilla and expresso mix
7. On low speed, add flours & cocoa; beat until just mixed.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with spatula to ensure all flour is mixed in
8. Add nuts & chocolate; on low speed, distribute evenly 
9. Scrape into tin
10. Bake about 25mins for squidgy brownies, 5 mins more for cakelike brownies
11. Cool in pan 15 mins
12. Run a paring knife round the edges of the brownies; lift out brownies and transfer to a cooling rack
13. When brownies are cool, spread with icing

Icing: 

1.  Gently heat 
   50ml double cream

   1/2 tbsp expresso powder

   sugar to taste - 1-2 tbsp (opt)

2.  Off the heat, add
   37gm dark chocolate
3.  Stir till glossy; dribble over or over brownies

Comments:
'All the canvasers loved them but preferred the squidgy ones to the cake-like ones.  I found the gooey ones absolutely adorable; my noises of appreciation were so loud, someone came to investigate!' Political Agent

Tip:
For the children: easy peasy chocolate cake, for making and for eating

                                                                     More Indulgences on Nav Bar: Recipes II/Desserts...

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.