Chocolate Mousse Banana Split Style
I’ve talked about the Daring Bakers before, and they’re all up to another challenge — Mousse! Or maybe just some of them are, and this is the Hay, Hay it’s Donna Day challenge. Whatever. I’m in and better late than never. The choice was Helene’s from tartlette and she, as well as Peabody have luscious creations they’re showcasing so don’t pass by those links without looking! Those of us foodies interested in participating were able to choose either savory or sweet mousse, depending on their individual whims. Since I love everything chocolate, this was an easy choice. The hard part was getting it done on time because the deadline is NOW! Are you ready for a different spin on Chocolate Mousse? I’ve made a variety of recipes over the years, so did a bit of looking around, and ended up sort of morphing a few ideas together. The Master of the House said it gets an A+, and the RT liked it, too, so give it a try, and have some fun.
Where did the inspiration come from? I love the flavors of a banana split after everything sort of oozes together — especially the bananas with the strawberry syrup and chocolate. Making the mousse also gave me the opportunity to use a tool that a friend gave me recently. It’s a bit scary looking, but it really gets the job done chopping up the chocolate to speed melting.
The original recipe shown below serves 8-10, but because there are only three of us, I cut the recipe in half, and used the left overs to make a larger layered dessert to share with others tomorrow. Since the recipe only calls for a cup of the bubbly, you get to drink the rest while you’re cooking. If that’s not a deal, I don’t know what is.
Chocolate Mousse Banana Split Style
Ingredients
For the banana puree:
- 2 lbs. bananas (about 4) peeled & cut into large slices
- 1 c. sparkling wine
- 1/4 c. sugar
- For the chocolate mousse:
- 9 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used bittersweet Schnarfenberger’s)
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 c. cold heavy cream
- For the strawberry coulis
- 16 oz. strawberries, hulled (reserve some fruit for garnish)
- confectioner’s sugar to taste
Directions
- Place the banana pieces, sparkling wine and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, 15 minutes.
- While the banana mixture is cooking, place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt it over gently simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside.
- Transfer mixture into the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Set aside to cool.
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together.
- Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture is pale and thick. (About 10 min.)
- Whisk in the melted chocolate.
- Place the cream in a cold stainless steel bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the cream into the chocolate mixure.
- Rinse the bowl of the food processor out well, and place strawberries and powdered sugar inside. Blend until smooth.
- Pour strawberry coulis into a sieve to remove seeds.
To Serve:
- Place desired amount of strawberry coulis in the bottom of a serving dish.
- Place about 2 T. of the banana puree on the dish before adding the amount of chocolate mousse you desire.
Arrange sliced bananas and strawberries on the plate, add a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with coconut and sliced almonds.