Chocolate Mousse and Cherry Parfait

Project 365 – #190

We picked up some delicious cherries at Walmart today, so I thought I would use some of the chocolate mousse that I had made up from the previous day with the cherries to create a parfait.  It was such a big hit that we’ve gone through almost of the cherries that just purchased.  (Note: this batch of mousse did not set up like usual for whatever the reason, so it isn’t as fluffy as normal.  At least it still tasted delicious. lol!)

Gluten Free Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 4 oz gluten free dark chocolate (I actually melt down Dove chocolates.)
• 2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
• 2 egg whites (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate and butter/oil and thoroughly combine.  Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
2. In another bowl, whip together heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. If desired, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  This will provide a creamier texture for your mousse, but not everyone wants to use raw eggs.  You can skip this step if you wish.
4. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture (obviously skip this step if you’re not using egg whites).
5. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
6. Place in refrigerator for a couple of hours to set.

Chocolate Mousse and Cherry Parfait

For the chocolate mousse parfait, I just layered the chocolate mousse, pitted and sliced cherries, and homemade whipped cream in a small mason jar.  You could also just slice up a bunch of the fresh, pitted cherries and place them in a bowl.  Top them with some mousse and freshly made whipped cream.  Don’t forget to top with a cherry for garnish.  For a little extra punch, you can add some chocolate shavings/curls or mini chocolate chips.  Yum!

This post is featured in The Christian Home – issue 23