Italian Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Prepare chocolate

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.

Warm milk

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the whole milk until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour about one quarter of the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper, then gradually whisk in the remaining warm milk until fully combined.

Cook custard (crema pasticcera-style)

Return the milk and yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and reaches about 170–175°F (77–80°C) — it should thicken but not curdle. Immediately remove from heat.

Combine with chocolate

Pour the hot custard through a fine-mesh sieve over the chopped chocolate to remove any cooked bits. Let sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then gently whisk until smooth. Add the cubed butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, stirring until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache-like mixture is glossy. Let cool to near room temperature (about 20–25 minutes), stirring occasionally to release steam.

Whip cream

While the chocolate mixture cools, whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks: in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters or whisk, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks (when you lift the whisk the peak droops slightly).

Fold cream into chocolate

When the chocolate mixture is cool but still pourable (not warm to the touch), remove about one-third of the whipped cream and stir it into the chocolate to lighten the base. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a spatula using a figure-eight motion until evenly incorporated and no white streaks remain. Do not overmix.

Chill

Spoon or pipe the mousse into individual serving glasses or a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably 3–4 hours, until set and chilled.

Shortly before serving, whip 1 cup heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract to medium peaks. Keep chilled until ready to top the mousse.

Top each chilled mousse with a dollop of the whipped cream. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and sprinkle dark chocolate shavings on top. Serve immediately.