(Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue and Homemade Graham Cracker Spoons)
Ingredients
for the Graham Cracker Spoons
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
for the Chocolate Mousse
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons espresso, cooled
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar, plus one tablespoon
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the Marshmallow Meringue
6 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
You will also need: “shot glasses” (or small ramekins), a kitchen torch and a spoon shaped cookie cutter
Directions
First, make your graham cracker spoons. These can be made up to a week in advance. In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. In two additions, add the dry ingredients, letting the first fully incorporate before you add the second. Turn the dough out and flatten it into a rectangular shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Using your cookie cutter, cut out spoon cookie. Reroll the scraps of dough once, and cut out more cookies. Bake the graham crackers, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until they are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
For the chocolate mousse: Heat a saucepan one-third full with hot water, and in a bowl set on top, melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring over the barely simmering water, until smooth. Remove from heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
In a bowl large enough to nest securely on the saucepan of simmering water, whisk the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, rum, and water for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, like runny mayonnaise. Remove from heat and place the bowl of whipped egg yolks within the bowl of ice water and beat until cool and thick. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape. Whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until firm, then fold in the chocolate-egg white mixture, but don’t overdo it or the mousse will lose volume. Fill the mousse into 24 individual glasses or ramekins and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
Just before serving, make your meringue. In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start to whisk the egg whites. Once a little frothy, add the salt and cream of tartar. Whisk until hard peaks form. Add in the confectioners sugar and continue whisking until you have a marshmallow fluff consistency. Fill into a piping bag and decorate each of the chocolate mousse cups. Using your kitchen torch, gently toast ach cup and add a graham cracker spoon to garnish.
