Reduced Dairy Chocolate Mousse

Some things really are just for special and the mean so much to us for that reason alone. Celebration foods are interesting things as these traditions can differ so much from family to family.

In my family celebration foods tended toward the savoury. Chips, dips and really good cheese were all cherished for their rarity.

In A's family it was a little different his celebration foods tended to be sweet. It was at our first shared birthday celebration that I was surprised to find that Chocolate Mousse had been made, to be presented with a flourish as his favourite. Many Chocolate Mousse recipes, including his Mums, are made on a cream base which made the need to reduce the dairy in his life a little challenging at times.

Thankfully, often where there is a will there is a way. The fact that he doesn't react to butter is extremely useful in this context. An option was found that calls much less heavily for dairy products and played with until it has now been pronounced "the best he has ever had".

Reduced Dairy Chocolate Mousse
(if coconut oil was used instead of butter it would be dairy free)
Serves (4-6)

2 packets 100g Dark Chocolate
75g Butter (Coconut oil)
1/2 C Castor Sugar
6 Lg Eggs, Separated (8 small)

• Melt Chocolate and Butter together and set aside to cool.
• Beat Egg whites with Sugar until you get soft peaks
• Beat the Egg yolks and add to the chocolate mixture when cool, mix well
• Mix 1/4 of the egg white into the chocolate mixture
• Softly fold the remaining egg white into the chocolate a little at a time, work slowly but thoroughly.
• Spoon into bowls and refrigerate until you are ready to serve