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Milk Chocolate Rhubarb Mousse
Spring 2022
Quick to put together, this make-ahead dessert is a surprisingly delicious blending of flavours. By using milk chocolate rather than dark, the mousse will have a rich chocolate flavour without overpowering the subtlety of the rhubarb. The colour of the mousse may be quite light or a darker shade depending on the brand of chocolate you use (in testing, Lindt was lighter, and President’s Choice was darker). When whipping the cream to fold into the chocolate, don’t overdo it—the cream should be barely whipped and still quite fluid. This dessert looks lovely in a clear dessert glass, and for added texture, serve it with a crisp cookie or wafer on the side. 1 batch Roasted Rhubarb (recipe follows)
Serves 6
MILK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
4 1/2 oz (125 g) milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
4 tsp (20 mL) rhubarb syrup (recipe follows)
4 tsp (20 mL) water
3/4 cup (175 mL) whipping cream
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
About 1/4 cup (60 mL) whipping cream
Sugar to taste
1. Strain the rhubarb, reserving the syrup, then place a few pieces of rhubarb in the bottoms of six dessert glasses. Set aside.
2. Place the chopped chocolate, 4 tsp (20 mL) rhubarb syrup and water in a medium heatproof bowl. Reserve the remaining syrup from the Roasted Rhubarb for another use.
3. Place a pot with a few inches of water in the bottom over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and place the bowl of chocolate mixture over top, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and cool until just warm to the touch.
4. In a medium bowl, whip 3/4 cup (175 mL) cream just until it starts to thicken. It should still flow when you tilt the bowl and barely hold its shape. Add all the cream to the bowl of chocolate, and quickly and carefully, fold the two together just until they’re incorporated, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as you fold. The mousse should still be quite soft but will set upon refrigeration. Be careful not to overmix at this point or the mousse may develop a grainy texture. Divide the mousse among the six dessert glasses, cover and chill until set, about 1 hour. The mousse can be prepared and spooned into glasses up to 1 day ahead.
5. If using the optional garnish, whip the cream to soft peaks with sugar to taste, and dollop onto the mousse. Top with a few pieces of Roasted Rhubarb and serve with a crisp cookie if you like.
Serves 6
ROASTED RHUBARB
Roasted rhubarb is a wondrous thing. The colour becomes even more intense, and the taste is both tart and sweet. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking, using less if you prefer things on the sour side and more if you want to sweeten things up a little more. Feel free to add, as I often do, a scraped vanilla bean, pod and all, or perhaps some orange rind for a nuanced citrus note. Be sure to keep the rhubarb-infused syrup from the pan—the best by-product of the roasting. It’s a delicious addition to a glass of soda water along with a splash of lime juice. Note: Some of the recipes in this collection call for 1 recipe’s worth of roasted rhubarb. You may not use it all, but anything left over is delightful over yogurt or ice cream. Hothouse rhubarb (sometimes called “forced rhubarb”) is grown indoors over winter and available in early spring. The stalks are tender and pink, unlike rhubarb grown outdoors which can be stringy and red-green in colour.
1 lb (455 g) trimmed Ontario hothouse rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Place rhubarb in a single layer in 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Add the sugar and toss to combine.
3. Bake the rhubarb for 15 minutes, stir gently and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Cool completely, then refrigerate, along with the syrup. The rhubarb can be roasted and stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL)
RHUBARB SYRUP
1 lb (455 g) trimmed Ontario hothouse rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Place rhubarb in a single layer in 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Add the sugar and toss to combine.
3. Bake the rhubarb for 15 minutes, stir gently and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Cool completely, then refrigerate, along with the syrup. The rhubarb can be roasted and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL)
