This post was sponsored by AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate as part of an Influencer Campaign for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Spending time in the kitchen is my happy place. It’s even happier when I can get the family involved to help me cook. Since he’s been showing an interest lately, it’s been especially fun to teach my oldest, Grayson, how to follow recipes and give him the special cooking tips I learned from my parents and grandparents as I started cooking with them. He’s become my little sous chef, and I love every (though sometimes messy) moment that we spend together in the kitchen. Together we just created a delicious and easy fall mousse recipe. We used AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate (you can get it on Amazon) grated dark chocolate (since both of us love rich, dark chocolate) to make the mousse and incorporated fall spices and presentation to give it a seasonal spin. The resulting recipe was so easy and delicious! Get the full recipe for Autumn Spice Dark Chocolate Mousse below – it’s easy enough for you to make with your kids or grandkids, too!
While I do enjoy being in the kitchen, I don’t have time to spend all day preparing recipes. I am always looking for tried-and-true shortcuts that streamline cooking without sacrificing any of the taste or quality. One of my new baking secrets is AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate. It comes finely grated to save time (and it also melts quickly and easily this way). It substitutes 1:1 for semi-sweet chocolate in any recipe, so it’s a super simple solution!
Another reason I love AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate is that its recipes are based on classic, early American chocolate maker’s recipes. The spices and methods are authentically American and tried-and-true. But the best part about AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate is the unique and delicious taste. The chocolate is subtly seasoned with real spices like orange peel, vanilla, and cinnamon, which have been blended directly into the cocoa. These are perfect complements that elevate recipes… especially this Autumn Spice Dark Chocolate Mousse! See the full recipe at the bottom of this post, but first, here are some tips for preparing the mousse.
Today’s recipe starts with mixing AMERICAN HERITAGE Finely Grated Chocolate in a mixing bowl with some pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
In a saucepan, I melt some butter, then stir in marshmallows and some salt, and continue to cook until the marshmallows have melted all the way. After they are melted, pour the hot marshmallow mixture over the chocolate mixture then stir until well combined and most of the grated chocolate pieces have melted. I like for there to still be some pieces of grated chocolate throughout the mousse, as it adds a nice flavor and texture, which is why I don’t melt the chocolate in advance for this recipe.
While the chocolate mixture is cooling, I make some fresh whipped cream in my stand mixture with heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. When the chocolate mixture cools to room temperature, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate (with a little whipped cream reserved for topping the mousse later) until it’s well mixed into a fluffy mousse.
I let the mousse chill in the fridge for a few minutes while I create a fun and easy candy melt topper.
Using a seasonal candy mold (like this leaf), spoon a bit of melted candy melts in seasonal fall colors (like brown, yellow, and orange) into the mold. Scrape off the excess candy and shake the molds a few times to release any bubbles.
Cool the candy mold in the refrigerator until hardened (about 10-15 minutes), then pop them out of the molds.
For some added flair, I sprayed the candy leaves with some edible gold glitter spray that I had in my pantry from another recipe, but this is totally optional.
When the mousse is just chilled, remove it from the fridge and transfer to a pastry bag (or a large plastic storage bag with one tip cut off) to pipe into 4 serving dishes. Top with some of the reserved whipped cream (I also like to pipe this on to make a pretty dollop) and sprinkle with some additional grated chocolate and pumpkin pie spice.
Add 1-2 candy leaves on top for presentation.
Servings |
servings
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- 1 cup AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate Finely Grated Chocolate, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: Candy melts in fall tones (yellow, brown, and/or orange)
Ingredients
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- Place the AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate in a large mixing bowl with the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Mix and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Stir the marshmallows and salt into the melted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows have melted completely.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the mixing bowl over the chocolate. Using a whisk, stir the mixture together, melting most the chocolate, until well blended. It’s OK for there to still be some grated chocolate pieces, as I personally love the added texture and taste that they add to this mousse. Set the bowl aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
- While the chocolate mixture is cooling, place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the cream is completely whipped and forms stiff peaks. Reserve about ½ cup of the whipped cream to top your mousse later.
- When the chocolate mixture has cooled, fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate until well-combined. Move to the refrigerator to chill.
- Optional: While the mousse is chilling, melt the candy melts (one color at a time) in the microwave per package directions. Pour some into seasonal shaped candy molds (I used molds shaped like leaves), scraping off the excess candy and shaking the molds a few times to release any bubbles. Cool in the refrigerator until hardened (about 10-15 minutes).
- When just chilled, remove the mousse from the fridge and transfer to a pastry bag (or a large plastic storage bag with one tip cut off) to pipe into 4 serving dishes. Top with the reserved whipped cream (I also like to pipe this on to make a pretty dollop) and sprinkle with some additional grated chocolate and pumpkin pie spice. Add 1-2 candy leaves on top for presentation.
Ramon Cruz says
I drooled looking at these photos. I am a chocoholic and will, without doubt, make this.