In memoriam, a mousse

I bought "The Silver Palate Cookbook" years before I met Sheila Lukins, one of the co-authors.

And that was almost 25 years ago, even before I had the chance to peek into the newspaper's test kitchen every day, to see (and taste!) what wonderful recipe was being tested before we published it.

Lukins died last weekend, but what a legacy she leaves behind: That book, written with Julee Rosso, is one of the top 10 best-selling cookbooks of all time. It deserves it -- though, truth be told, I mostly used it for advice on methods and combinations; I thought some of the recipes could be improved. To each, his own taste.

So, as refined and proved by the Holly Hill Test Kitchen, here's my take on her chocolate mousse -- which Robert has said (along with others) rivals the best he's had in France. It serves between 8 and 12, depending on your gluttony quotient. Eat it in good health.

1½ pounds (24 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
½ c. espresso or very strong coffee
½ c. Grand Marnier or other flavoring *
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
8 egg whites plus a good pinch of salt
1 c. heaviest cream, chilled
¼ c. granulated sugar

Melt chocolate chips in a heavy double-boiler or a copper bowl set over medium-simmering water. Add espresso by dribs, and whisk to incorporate and re-smooth chocolate. Remove from heat, add vanilla and add flavoring by drabs, again whisking vigorously to re-smooth chocolate. Add egg yolks one by one, whisking each till smooth.

Beat egg whites and salt to soft peaks; in another bowl, whip cream and sugar to soft peaks. (You can do these steps, IN THIS ORDER, without cleaning the beaters; if you reverse the order, the fat in the cream left on the beaters will keep the egg whites from reaching their maximum volume.) With a rubber spatula, carefully fold egg whites and cream together. Do not overmix, because each mixing drives out some air, and this finished mousse is quite dense enough, thank you.

With your spatula, blend one-fourth of egg white/cream mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold the two mixtures together completely. Again, do not overmix. You'll know when the mixing is complete when a good turn through the bottom of the bowl results in no dark-chocolate ribbons.

Pour/scrape the mousse into individual serving cups/bowls or into one large bowl for the table. Cover with airproof wrap and chill an hour or two until set. It'll hold for a day or so, refrigerated.

Serve by itself for a pure chocolate encounter, or garnish with whipped cream and/or fruit, or pass cream/fruit separately.

* You may also use Kahlua, Amaretto, Framboise, Frangelico, creme de menthe or any other chocolate-friendly liqueur. Non-alcoholic hazelnut syrup (Da Vinci Gourmet is a good brand) is also good, but cut the amount to a tablespoon or two, or to taste. Alternatively, try a few drops of tangerine essential oil and garnish with candied citrus peel.
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For whipped cream to garnish:
1 c. heaviest cream, chilled
¼ c. granulated sugar
(up to 2 tbs liqueur to match mousse flavoring, optional)
Mix well, then whip into soft peaks. Chill bowl and beater for best results.