Valentine's Special: Just a Pinch of Chili Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse is a surprisingly easy "fancy" dessert you can make for your Valentine's dinner. This video recipe shows my favorite basic chocolate mousse recipe, with the addition of a little dash of chipotle pepper - which really does some strange and wonderful things.

If you look back at the history of chocolate, it was certainly not enjoyed as the sweet treat we think of today. The Maya and Aztecs cultures both used the cacao beans, but they were most often fermented and made into a very bitter drink, often flavored with chili peppers.

So, unless you're dating a 3,000-year-old Mayan Goddess, I suggest something more along the lines of this modern chocolate mousse recipe, which still pays homage to the ancient spicy flavoring. You will be pleasantly surprised by how just a tiny dash of the hot, bittersweet spice brings out the full complexity of the chocolate.

Of course, I know that many of you just won't be able to pull the trigger. It just seems wrong to your culinary sensibilities, and that's all right. It's not really that big a deal. But, in one last attempt to convince you to give it a try, I will tell you that the Aztecs considered this chocolate chili concoction to be quite a powerful aphrodisiac.

If spicy peppers aren’t your thing, you can alter this recipe in more conventional ways with things like orange zest, or extracts like almond, coffee, and mint. One last tip, there's no need to sweeten the whipped cream garnish. The contrast of the plain, rich cream and the sweet, decadent chocolate underneath is a magical mix you don't want to mess with. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped or broken in small pieces (you can get away with
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water, divided (2 tbsp for chocolate, 2 tbsp for egg mixture)
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/8 tsp ground chipotle
very tiny pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
extra cream and chocolate shavings to garnish, optional

Want to learn the proper technique for "folding," and a delicious breakfast recipe? Check out this video recipe for Lemon Soufflé Pancakes.