Chocolate mousse is easy to prepare. But is it?

Chocolate mousse. What goes through your mind when you think of making chocolate mousse? Are you in the group where you shrug your shoulders, roll up your sleeves, tie your apron and melt the chocolate with a pastry spatula? Or are you in the group where, when you hear the word "chocolate mousse", you prefer to look for an excuse not to make it? No problem, whether you find it fun or stressful, you''ve come to the right place.

We''ll give you tips, tricks and ideas to make the perfect chocolate mousse.

1. Use quality ingredients.

Whatever dessert ends up on the pastry counter, the rule is: ingredients should be carefully chosen and as good as possible. Before preparing the chocolate mousse, it is important, among other things, that the whipping cream used is really fresh. It should also be very well chilled before whipping. Well chilled sweet cream will whip up beautifully and will not cause you any problems. If the cream is too warm, it may not whip at all. In this case, move it and the container to a cold place and start the whisking process when the cream is well chilled.

If you are making chocolate mousse, the rule of thumb is to use good quality dark chocolate, which will give the mousse a rich texture and flavour.

2. Read the list of ingredients and the preparation instructions carefully.

This rule also applies to the preparation of all savoury and sweet dishes, but its self-evident nature makes it even more difficult. Yes, that''s right - we''re talking about reading and preparing the ingredients called for in a recipe well before preparing it. It is also good to go through the steps and instructions for preparation. We also recommend that the pre-measured ingredients, together with all the necessary utensils, are waiting on the pastry counter, so that the preparation itself runs smoothly.

3. Whisking.

And here we are back to the whipped cream. Whipping the sweet cream is a very important step in the preparation of the chocolate mousse. If you think this is a simple and not-so-important step, we''re sorry to disappoint you. Whipping the cream for chocolate mousse is right up there with the can''t-do-without steps. It is very important that the sweet cream is not over-whipped, as the end result can quickly turn out to be not a fluffy custard but a thickened, butter-like texture. If you do happen to get too carried away while whipping, chocolate mousse is not yet for the bin. Just add a few spoonfuls of liquid sweet cream to the over-whipped whipped cream and whip just enough to bind the ingredients together.

4. Just mix the ingredients together and you''re ready to go.

Yes, chocolate mousse is a combination of ingredients, but we need to pay a little more attention to the actual mixing of the ingredients. Add the whipped cream with the other ingredients carefully and carefully. It is usually added at the end, using only a spatula and not an electric mixer. If care is not taken in this step, instead of an airy and fluffy cream, a thickened, butter-like cream may be served.

5. Let the mousse cool well.

The mousse needs to chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes before it can be served. If you intend to serve the mousse in several layers, each layer must set before adding another layer on top. Use suitable serving glasses to serve the mousse. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour while chilling.

You can find ideas and recipes for mousse in different flavours and shapes here. You can also find some mousse desserts in the BAM recipe book Sweet Snacks.