Chocolate Mousse Tart

8-12 Servings

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I would not, could not, in a box.

I would not, could not, with a fox.

I will not eat keto here or there.

I will not eat it anywhere.

Dr. Seuss, 2021

My first thought when I post anything on a story, on my Instagram feed, on my TikTok, is 'who is this going to offend?' This scares me slightly; that i'm so frightened of the hermetical woke-brigade who have made it essentially illegal to simply talk about something that doesn't immediately apply to you. Don't get me wrong, I will always want to know where I am genuinely sheltered, misinformed, or just plain insensitive. But smoke a fat one and take a couple of deep breaths already. I'm scared that I could be hailed as that b**** who is shitting on anyone who is Keto. She can't possibly know why someone is Keto. Surely she's not so insensitive as to yuck someone's yum (I really don't like when someone yucks my yum). The list of possibilities runs through my head. The second thought that prevails is one of reason: 'well surely that community is naturally the loudest, but that doesn't mean they represent any sort of majority'. Except, I look for offence in everything I watch. Not to call it out; but because these past few years have conditioned me to it. The Gen-Z gatekeepers of what is good and holy (love Gen-Z just not these ones) have us all triple checking the words we use, the clothes we wear, and the hair-do we like. Surely good intentions, kind hearts, and a passion for creating something positive and useful means...something? I hope this foray with cancel culture is brief; let's hit it and quit it okay? She's not worth it bro. Actually, I feel like cancel culture is a male. He's not worth it gal.

Overthinking & idiosyncratic anxiety aside; lets us discuss this tart/cake/mousse thing. It's not one of my more creative ideas, in fact, I modelled this off of a vegan mousse cake I saw floating around the internet a few months ago. But it's a forking showstopper that will have the grandparents ferociously hitting their walking sticks on the ground as if they were Matt Preston with a teaspoon. It looks impressive but it's really simple, both to make and decorate. Don't trip on your accolades as you head to the bathroom please.

Recipe

Ingredients

Base

• 1 cup of Oats

• 1 cup of Almond Meal

• 2/3 cup of coconut flakes

• 70g of butter, melted (weigh before melting)

• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar

• A pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Mousse

• 4 eggs

• 13 grams of butter, melted

• 167 grams of dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped

• 2/3 cup of heavy cream (double cream)

• 4 tablespoons of caster sugar

Toppings

• Toasted coconut flakes

• Raspberries

• Chocolate shavings

Method

Base

1. Preheat oven to 180C (fan bake).

2. Place your oats, almond meal, and coconut flakes in a blender. Blitz them up for 20-30 seconds. It's okay if there are a few small, coarse chunks, it adds to the texture!

3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and pour in the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix together, using your hands then add in the salt.

4. Brush a medium-small pie or cake tin¹ with some melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the tin, coming up 2-3cm on the sides. Make sure to push together any cracks in the base.

5. Bake the base for 10 minutes then let it cool or 10 minutes before popping it in the fridge.

Mousse

1. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks then set them aside. Pour the whites into a large bowl and set aside.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in 20 second bursts in the microwave² making sure to stir in between each burst. Set that aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

3. Whip your cream then fold the egg yolks in gently (only do about 8-10 folds). Add in the cooled chocolate mixture and fold in for another 8-10 folds.

4. Whip your egg whites until frothy then add in your sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. This will take about 7-10 minutes.

5. Fold 1/3 of your egg white mixture into your chocolate and yolk mixture. Then pour the chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites and fold it in gently. Only do about 8-10 folds - if there are a few small streaks of egg white it's okay! It's better to not overdo it and risk losing the airiness of your mousse.

6. Place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Remove it gently from your tin, then decorate it with raspberries, coconut flakes, and chocolate shavings. Pour hot water over a sharp knife, dry it, then slice the cake to get clean lines. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes:

1. I like to use a spring-form pan so that I can ensure I won't break the base when I remove it from the tin.

2. Once at least half of the chocolate has melted, the rest will probably melt if you stir it for 1 minute. If it hasn't fully melted, just put it in the microwave for another 20 seconds.

Stay Salty

Romy xx