Barefoot Contessa Inspired: Orange Chocolate Mousse

I used to think that television was bad - that I could feel my brain cells dying with each rerun of Friends or Full House. As entertaining as it was to watch Ross and Rachel or the Olsen twins in diapers, it was as if I could feel myself getting even more stupid than before - yet still, I watch.

And as much as I'd like to think of myself as a disestablishmentarianist who doesn't give in to peer pressure to keep up with all the newest gadgets and gizmos, I succumbed and got DirectTV with a DVR.

But now I wonder...

why did I wait so long and how did I live without?

With ease, I record Barefoot Contessa and Everyday Italian to view at a later time. With joy and a little impatience, I fast-forward through all the commercials, credits, and segments to what I want to watch - right then, right there.

So it was that I watched Ina Garten making chocolate mousse on a particular afternoon with her Kitchenaid mixer and Grand Marnier, and I was inspired.

Chocolate Orange Mousse
~ Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
+ 6 oz good semisweet chocolate, chopped
+ 2 oz good bittersweet chocolate, chopped
+ 1/4 c Grand Marnier
+ 1/4 c water
+ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
+ 1 tsp grated orange zest
+ 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
+ 8 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, separated
+ 1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp sugar
+ Pinch kosher salt
+ 1/2 c cold heavy cream
+ Mandarin oranges, drained and chilled

1. Combine chocolates, orange liqueur, 1/4 cup water, and vanilla in a double boiler until the chocolate melts.
2. Whisk in orange zest and butter until combined.
3. Place egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in Kitchenaid mixer with paddle tool. Beat on high for 4 minutes, or until thick and pale yellow.
4. With mixer on low speed, add chocolate mixture. Transfer to large bowl.
5. Place 1 cup of egg whites (save or discard the rest), salt, and 1 Tbsp sugar in Kitchenaid mixer with whisk tool. Beat on high speed until firm but not dry.
6. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture; then fold the rest in carefully with a rubber spatula.
7. Without cleaning the bowl or whisk, whip heavy cream and remaining tablespoon of sugar until firm. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
8. Pour mousse into individual dishes, chill and decorate with whipped cream and oranges, serve with extra whipped cream on the side.

Whipped Cream:
+ 1 c cold heavy cream
+ 1 Tbsp sugar

Whip cream and add sugar when it starts to thicken. Continue to whip until cream forms stiff peaks.

And how inspired I was.

The velvety smooth chocolate richness with hint of orange liqueur zing satisfied my FoodTV fix, made me sigh with ooo's and ahh's of pure chocolate ecstasy...

...and serves as culinary inspiration to find some good eats in Paris during my Thanksgiving retreat.

Bon voyage!