Best Mousse Filled Chocolate Hearts Recipes

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH PUFF PASTRY HEARTS

Steps:

• Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until just melted, about 6 minutes; remove from the heat and whisk until smooth and shiny.
• Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Combine 2 egg yolks, 6 tablespoons sugar, the cognac, vanilla and 2 tablespoons hot water in a separate heatproof bowl. Beat with a mixer until thick and pale yellow, about 7 minutes. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and continue beating until warm and tripled in volume, about 8 more minutes. Carefully rest the bowl in the ice water and beat until the mixture is cool and thick, about 2 more minutes. Gradually beat in the melted chocolate mixture until incorporated.
• Wash and dry the beaters. In a separate large bowl, beat 2 egg whites, the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and the salt until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-quarter of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the rest until incorporated. Transfer to four 8-ounce ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter or small knife, cut out 4 hearts (or circles) from the pastry. Brush with the beaten egg, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 5 minutes. Bake until puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Top each ramekin with whipped cream and a puff pastry heart.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Whip 1 cup of the heavy cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon water to a medium heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Whisk constantly until the mixture is pale, hot to the touch and has almost doubled in volume, about 4 to 6 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula, if necessary. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until cooled, about 2 minutes.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and gently stir for about 3 minutes to cool slightly.
• Whisk the egg mixture into the melted chocolate in 3 additions until combined. (The mixture may get very thick.) Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions until it is fully incorporated. It is important that the chocolate mixture is not warm to ensure that it combines smoothly with the whipped cream without seizing up.
• Divide the chocolate mousse among four 4-ounce ramekins and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Whip the remaining 3/4 cup cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Top each chocolate mousse with whipped cream and serve. (For a softer texture, allow the ramekins to sit at room temperature while you whip the cream.)

MOUSSE-FILLED CHOCOLATE HEARTS

Steps:

• For Hearts:
• Turn two 15x10-inch baking sheets bottom side up. Dab butter on corners. Cover each pan bottom with parchment paper; press paper into butter to anchor.
• Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted. Spread white chocolate over 1 sheet of parchment. Stir semisweet chocolate in clean top of double boiler over simmering water until melted. Spread semisweet chocolate over second sheet of parchment. Chill both sheets until chocolates are dry but still slightly flexible when edge of parchment is lifted, about 3 minutes for dark chocolate and 5 minutes for white chocolate (do not let chocolate harden completely).
• Press heart-shaped cookie cutter about 3 inches long by 3 inches wide into chocolate, forming 12 hearts on each sheet (do not move or lifts hearts). Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• For Mousse:
• Combine both chocolates and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons water and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until candy thermometer registers 238°F, tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer and brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add boiling syrup to whites, beating until firm peaks form and meringue is completely cool, about 5 minutes. Gradually fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into cooled meringue.
• Beat cream and vanilla in small bowl until firm peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Chill until cold, about 1 hour. (Hearts and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; keep chilled.)
• Turn 1 sheet of hearts out onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Cut around hearts, if necessary, to free from sheet of chocolate. Place on baking sheet and chill; transfer trimmings to small saucepan and reserve. Repeat cutting out hearts from second sheet, reserving trimmings in another small saucepan.
• Arrange 12 hearts on baking sheet. Spread 1/4 cup of mousse over each, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top each with another chocolate heart. Refrigerate.
• Using fork, stir dark chocolate trimmings over very low heat just until melted. Using another fork, stir white chocolate trimmings over very low heat just until melted. Using another fork, stir white chocolate trimmings over very low heat just until melted. Dip tines of fork into dark chocolate; wave fork over hearts to form pattern. Repeat with white chocolate. Chill 1 hour to 8 hours. Serve cold.

WHITE-CHOCOLATE SPHERES FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Place 2/3 of the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer; turn off. Set bowl of chocolate over saucepan; melt. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until it reaches 118 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove bowl from saucepan; add remaining 1/3 chocolate to melted chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted chocolate cools to 84 degrees; remove unmelted pieces. Place bowl over pan; stir until thermometer reaches 88 degrees to 90 degrees.
• Using a very small pastry brush, brush a streak of red cocoa butter on each half of four 2-part 2 1/2-inch sphere-shaped molds. Repeat process with white cocoa butter. Using a larger pastry brush, brush entire mold with chocolate. Transfer mold to freezer until chocolate is firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove chocolate from molds, and place the bottom half of each mold onto a plate.
• Fill a disposable pastry bag with mousse; cut tip off bag. Pipe mousse into the bottom half of each chocolate mold. Add 2 quince balls to mold and top with a tuile.
• Working with one chocolate mold at a time, hold the top half of the mold, bottom side down, over a warm surface to soften slightly, about 10 seconds. Top bottom half of chocolate molds with top halves.
• Pipe two small dots of mousse on the top of each mold; attach a heart tuile to each. Heat poaching liquid from quince and drizzle over chocolate molds; serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE HEART LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON MOUSSE

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 8x8x2-inch heart-shaped cake ring on sheet of foil. Wrap foil up sides of ring. Brush foil and inside of ring with 1 tablespoon butter; dust with flour. Place on baking sheet.
• Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until thick and billowy and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Sift half of dry ingredients over; fold in gently. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Transfer 1/4 cup batter to small bowl; fold in 3 tablespoons butter. Gently fold butter mixture into batter; do not overmix or batter will deflate. Transfer batter to ring.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake with foil to rack; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• For Mousse Base:
• Bring whipping cream and cinnamon sticks just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; let steep 1 hour at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate cinnamon cream overnight.
• For Mousse, Cake Assembly, and Glaze:
• Blend jam and kirsch in small bowl. Cut around sides of cake; lift off ring. Using metal spatula, loosen cake from foil and transfer to rack. Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Using tart pan bottom, transfer top cake layer to work surface; turn cut side up. Spread half of jam on cut side of both cake layers.
• Strain cinnamon cream into large bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Stir finely chopped chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Quickly fold warm chocolate into whipped cream (chocolate must be warm to blend smoothly). Immediately drop mousse by dollops over bottom cake layer; spread to within 3/4 inch of edge. Gently press second layer, jam side down, atop mousse. Smooth sides of cake with offset spatula. Chill assembled cake on rack while preparing glaze.
• Bring cream, 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and tea to boil in small saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; steep 5 minutes. Strain into another small saucepan; return to boil.
• Remove from heat. Add coarsely chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until thickened, but still pourable, about 30 minutes. Place rack with cake over baking sheet. Slowly pour glaze over cake to cover, using spatula if necessary to spread evenly. Chill until glaze is firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Place cake on platter and serve.