IngredientsFor the Mousse
1 cup boiling water
8 oz. chocolate, in small pieces (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
For the Pastry
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
Procedure for the mousse
In a large bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate pieces. Stir with a whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Place bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice (to cool the chocolate slowly). With an electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture. Make sure to wear an apron, and to avoid a messy kitchen, place bowls in the sink while beating. Chocolate will slowly thicken (be patient), then begin to whip like cream. If chocolate becomes runny again, reheat the chocolate (over medium heat) until warm and less frothy. Then repeat the beating over an ice bath. Once stiff peaks form, cover mousse and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
If you have a hard time believing this recipe, watch Heston Blumenthal whip up a batch here.
Procedure for the pastry
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheet. In a small saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring until butter melts and mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and add flour all at once, stir quickly for 1 minute or until dough leaves sides of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs one at a time, beating with an electric mixer after each addition. Beat until smooth. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet (should make six puffs). Bake 25 minutes. If puffs are not yet golden brown, continue baking up to five minutes with the oven door propped open. Immediately transfer puffs to a cooking rack. When puffs have cooled slightly, horizontally slice puffs in half. When cooled, fill bottom halves of puffs with mousse, and replace tops. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
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pastry slightly adapted from a The Cooking Photographer recipe.mousse basically verbatim from a Heston Blumenthal recipe.
