Chocolate Mousse Flan
Submitted by Pamphylos
Elegant chocolate mousse in a press-in chocolate pastry crust, topped with chocolate curls and powdered sugar stripes. A no-bake filling in a baked flan shell.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
10 minREADY
1 hrsThis is the kind of dessert that makes people stop talking mid-sentence. A chocolate shortcrust pastry pressed into a flan ring, filled with silky mousse, then finished with chocolate curls and powdered sugar stripes laid down with wax paper stencils.
The mousse itself is simple: hot cream melts chocolate, egg yolks go in for richness, and folded-in meringue gives it that cloud-like lift. Pour it into the cooled crust and chill.
The presentation is what sells it. Use a vegetable peeler on a chocolate bar to create curls, then lay strips of wax paper across the top before dusting with icing sugar for a striped pattern that looks bakery-professional.
Chef Tips
- Chill the pastry crust for the full hour before baking or it will shrink and slide down the sides
- Press the dough evenly up the fluted sides; thicker spots will taste doughy while thin spots will overbake
- Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture gently in three additions to keep the mousse light and airy
- Do not attempt this on a hot day. The mousse filling will soften and lose its shape without refrigeration
Ingredients
Directions
You need a 9½ inch flan pan with a removable bottom to make this spectacular looking dessert.
PASTRY: Combine flour, icing sugar and1 melted square chocolate.
Cut in ½ cup softened butter (with pastry blender or in food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, form into ball with hands.
Press into bottom and sides of flan ring pan with removable bottom that has been greased.
Chill 1 hour.
Bake at 425F for 10 minutes; cool.
MOUSSE FILLING: Bring ½ cup whipping cream to a boil, Add 5 squares chocolate and 2 tbsp butter, stir until melted.
Blend in 2 eggs yolks well, remove from heat.
Beat egg whites until frothy, gradually add ¼ cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold into chocolate mixture; pour into pastry crust, chill 10 minutes.
GARNISH: Shortly before serving, sprinkle 3 squares (coarsely grated- use a vegetable peeler to make curls) over mousse.
Lay 3 strips of wax paper across flan. Sift icing sugar over flan; remove wax paper.
NB: Don’t make or serve this on a hot day; it will melt.
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