Amazing and Super Easy Chocolate Mousse...and Truffles!

(Maybe I'll actually get pictures this weekend if Elle cooperates...)

My sister emailed me a link containing a recipe for chocolate mousse that is only chocolate, water, and sugar. I couldn't believe it would actually work, since mixing melted chocolate and water is a major no-no because it causes the chocolate to seize. Well, not only did it work amazingly well, but it even worked while I was trying to juggle a crying baby who had woken up right as I was starting to melt everything, a 6-year-old who really, really wanted to help stir things, and a husband who walked in from a church meeting only to grab his stuff and run out the door because he had just gotten a call-out for work. (Anne isn't feeling well so she slept through all of this.) So not only is it a great recipe, but it's mom-friendly, too.

I called my sister, and she came by to sample it. As we were reveling in its very, very rich goodness, inspiration struck. Because I was trying to manage so many things, I had let the bowl of mousse sit in the ice bath for a few minutes after it reached the perfect consistency. This cause it to get more stiff, and we realized that if we turned the stiff mouse into truffles, it would be even better. Well, I happened to have a truffle-size cookie scoop, and some pretty pricey Peter's Milk Chocolate (the same milk chocolate used by See's Candy Co.). A few minutes later, our hunch was confirmed, and glorious truffles were born. We did learn two things from our quick experiment tonight: 1) freeze the inner (mousse) balls before trying to dip them or they will melt, and 2) put them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet to set because they stick to a regular plate.

So here is the recipe, and a link to the YouTube video about it.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)
Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal

Ingredients

• 9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe's Belgian Bittersweet, and it was great!)
  

• 1 cup (240 ml) water

• 4 tbsp sugar, optional (unless you love really strong dark chocolate flavor, definitely add the sugar)
  

Method

1. Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.*

2. Put chocolate and water (also sugar if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick**. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.

4. Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.***

Notes:
*About half-way through whipping, I realize that my chocolate wasn't cooling very fast, so I quickly dumped the ice water into a larger bowl, and then nestled the bowl of chocolate down into it. This worked great, and I will definitely do it again.
**I wouldn't even bother trying to whisk the mousse unless you want your arm to feel like it's going to fall off. Just go straight for the hand mixer on low speed. Beware, though, that it splatters, especially at the beginning. I started with the whisk but quickly realized that I would never get anywhere, especially while trying to keep Elle happy.
***To make truffles, let the bowl of mousse sit in the ice bath for about 5 minutes after you finish whipping, or refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until it becomes stiffer and easy to scoop. Be sure to freeze the scooped mousse completely before trying to dip in the melted milk chocolate.