My responsibilities for Christmas lunch was the starter (Smoked Salmon Terrine) and one of the 3 desserts – Chocolate Mousse. Thankfully I was able to make both dishes the day before leaving just the finishing touches and plating to be done on Christmas Day. Sadly I woke with the spider bite migraine on Christmas morning which rendered me somewhat unable to complete my dishes. Thankfully I had a few elves come to my rescue to plate the starer and prettify the individual chocolate mousses. Family is awesome! Sadly I took all of 3 photos the whole day so am unable to share my Mom’s beautiful Christmas table with you. I was however able to get a quick semi in focus shot of the mousses as they were being decorated. I made 3 times the quantity of the recipe shown below.
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate
4 egg separated
250ml cream
Method
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water.
- Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and beat until smooth and thick.
- Lightly whip the cream and fold into the chocolate mixture.
- Lightly beat the egg whites and fold into the mixture.
- Spoon into 8 glass bowls or ramekins and refrigerate until set.
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I love the holly on your mousse. What a shame about that spider bite and how awful to have a migraine on Christmas Day xx
By: hotlyspiced on January 10, 2013
at 07:10
Thanks Charlie. For somebody who never gets sick or suffers from any ailments, I certainly made up for it a few weeks ago. Have a glorious day.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 10, 2013
at 09:04
looks tasty! hope you are feeling better.
By: trialsinfood on January 10, 2013
at 07:21
Yes, thank you so much, I am 100% better. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 10, 2013
at 09:04
I make a very similar recipe but I cheat and melt the choc in the microwave
By: Sous Chef on January 10, 2013
at 07:56
That’s not cheating, just clever thinking! Have an awesome day.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 10, 2013
at 09:06
Looks and sounds delicious! Just made a chocolate pot for two dessert with a similar recipe. Really good.
Greetings from north of the Arctic Circle.
By: Barbra & Jack Donachy on January 10, 2013
at 08:20
Hi guys, thanks for stopping by. Chocolate puddings are always winners. Greeting back to you from a warm and sunny South Africa.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 10, 2013
at 11:35
It’s a wonder you took any photos at all, Mandy. Your mousses …. mise … meeses … puddings look delicious and the garnish is so very fitting for Christmas. Glad to read you’re doing better.
Stupid, stupid spider.
By: ChgoJohn on January 10, 2013
at 10:40
Darn plurals can get us tongue tied some days John, thanks for the giggle.
Agreed, stupid, stupid spider! All better now thankfully and back to “normal”. Have a lovely day. 
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 10, 2013
at 11:33
I love this recipe, it is just like mine, except I add a little brandy and whip the egg whites until they are peaked.. poor you having a nasty migraine though, right at the penultimate day.. I must look up this spider migraine, i have not heard of it, sounds quite nasty.. hope all is well with you now. c
By: cecilia on January 10, 2013
at 16:24
Ooh, I love the addition of brandy C, will have to do that next time. Oh dear, I think I may have miss-written the spider bit migraine, I meant to say that I got a migraine from the spider bite – sorry about that. Have a super day.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 14:51
3 little ingredients have never looked better and the little holly on top is very cheery. I am sorry you were not feeling so cheery on Christmas day but glad to hear the spider saga is over and your on your way to health. Take Care, BAM
By: Bam's Kitchen on January 10, 2013
at 16:37
Its amazing the magical results you can get from 3 ingredients! Have a lovely afternoon.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:00
Yum – thanks for sharing! Life is better served with chocolate mousse. Have a Great One:)
By: cravesadventure on January 10, 2013
at 18:35
I agree completely Renee! Have a lovely day too.
x
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:01
Aren’t those elves terrific!? I love mousse & that’s a very nice touch on top – usually I don’t make it that far – can’t help but dig right in. Any idea why we even need spiders? Or snakes… Surely there’s enough other creatures out there that can eat whatever they do and we can just get rid of them all.
By: dianeskitchentable on January 10, 2013
at 18:42
The elves are the best! I wanted to pipe whipped cream on the top of the mousses before decorating with the cherries and mint but alas – maybe next year…
xo
I know exactly what you mean about spiders and snakes – also, what about mosquito’s surely they don’t have a real role to play either!
Have a great day.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:04
No argument from me on putting the mosquito’s on that list! I’m thinking bats can find something else to eat. And if we didn’t have mosquito’s then we wouldn’t need spiders & snakes to eat them so yeah, they started it all.
By: dianeskitchentable on January 11, 2013
at 17:53
Exactly!
Have a great week ahead Diane. 
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 13, 2013
at 09:48
It would be terrible to be bitten any time of the year but it had to be terrible during the holidays to feel so bad. I’m glad you are well now. I’m sure everyone enjoyed your contributions to the meal.
By: Karen on January 10, 2013
at 20:15
Must say Karen, the timing was terrible! Everybody did enjoy my contributions so that also made me feel better. Have a great day Karen.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:07
What a pretty presentation for a holiday dessert! I’ve not heard of a spider bite migraine, I’m so sorry to hear it happened right on the holiday. I do agree, though, its a blessing to have family that can step in!
By: spicegirlfla on January 10, 2013
at 21:56
Must say Karen, the timing was terrible! Everybody did enjoy my contributions so that also made me feel better. Have a great day Karen.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:07
Thanks Linda. I was hoping to have done a bit more decorating but it was obviously not meant to be. I am extremely grateful for my family who were more than eager to lend a hand. Have a super afternoon.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:10
That is just how a chocolate mousse should be made! Such a shame you were so poorly
Big Man is looking over my shoulder right now and asking me when I will be making this. Saturday methinks!
By: Chica Andaluza on January 10, 2013
at 22:05
Ooh, I love that you are going to make this on Saturday Tanya, I am sure you and Big Man will be happy with the results. Have a lovely afternoon.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:12
Mandy.
how exquisite these little mousses look. (that’s not spelled correctly) !! I love the presentation, too.
Xxxx Kiss from MN. Xxx
By: My Inner Chick on January 11, 2013
at 00:12
Thanks Kim! I reckon mousses is perfect! Maybe we should add this to the list to share with each other when we meet one day. We are going to be visiting with each other for quite a while with the ever growing list. YAY. Have a beautiful weekend.
xoxoxo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:14
Can’t wait to meet you one day, dear Mandy X
By: my inner chick on January 14, 2013
at 22:38
Our list is growing longer and longer for when we meet Kim – I pray the day is rather sooner than later. Have a beautiful week.
xoxoxo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 15, 2013
at 18:06
Looks perfect to me Mandy!!
Happy New Year!
By: Jed Gray (sportsglutton) on January 11, 2013
at 01:26
Very kind of you Jed, thank you! Hope you had a good festive season.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:14
The chocolate mousse looks fabulous and the garnishing is so pretty and festive.
By: Angie@Angie's Recipes on January 11, 2013
at 07:27
Thanks Angie. It’s amazing what a little bit of added colour can do to a dish. Have a lovely weekend.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:15
Did you manage to eat some?
By: Tandy on January 11, 2013
at 08:27
I just had a teaspoon full – I was a bit worried the chocolate would worsen the headache – I am never sure if it is true about chocolate and cheese being contributors to headaches. I was grateful though that the family kept one spare for me for the next day. Have a lovely weekend.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 11, 2013
at 15:17
So simple but elegant and delicious!
By: Ashley @thedrivencook on January 12, 2013
at 03:32
It’s hard to beat the simplicity and enjoyment of a chocolate mousse. Have a super week ahead Ashley.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 13, 2013
at 09:49
Glorious. One of my very, very favorite sweets (besides you, of course!) is choccy mousse. Hurray!
xo
K
By: kathryningrid on January 14, 2013
at 01:21
Aah, you are too kind Kathryn, thank you so much! You have made my Monday a very happy one.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 14, 2013
at 09:24
You decorated these so beautifully Mandy! Happy New Year to you.
By: Kristy on January 14, 2013
at 04:23
Thanks Kristy. May 2013 be a wonderful year for you and the family.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 14, 2013
at 09:28
Such a pretty mousse, but I am so sad to hear you weren’t feeling well at Christmas. How horrible to be bitten by a spider and to have a migrane from it, even worse. I sure hope you’re feeling back to normal now. Your post reminds me how much I love chocolate mousse and how easy it is to make. Why haven’t I made it in so long? I must remedy that! Hope you have a great week!
By: bitsandbreadcrumbs on January 14, 2013
at 05:22
All back to “normal” after the spider ordeal – rude spider chose the most inopportune time to nibble on my ear! Oh well, all’s well that ends well they say. Strangely I don’t make chocolate mousse that often either. Have a super week too.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 14, 2013
at 09:30
I hate it when things like migrane get in your way of cooking, had the same issue before but it was also the elves who managed to complete it.
By: rsmacaalay on January 14, 2013
at 07:44
Good to know you also had some helpers to finish things for you when you had a migraine Raymund. Have a great week ahead.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 14, 2013
at 09:33
You can’t beat a simple chocolate mousse recipe – everyone likes them. Cute decoration. I make a chocolate log for the non- Christmas pud eaters but this is a great alternative.
By: Sally on January 14, 2013
at 09:12
Does seem that a chocolate mousse is an all round favourite Sally. A chocolate log sounds heavenly too. Have a super day.
By: thecompletecookbook on January 14, 2013
at 09:50
migraines stink! So sorry to had to have that on that day of all days but hey the mousse looks fantastic so thats a plus:)
By: Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious) on January 14, 2013
at 21:56
The mousse being such a hit with everybody certainly made up for the migraine Belle. Have a lovely day.
XO
By: thecompletecookbook on January 15, 2013
at 18:05
Glad you are all better now. Very appropriate holiday decorations on the mousse.
By: Norma Chang on January 15, 2013
at 02:39
Thanks Norma. Hope you are keeping well.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on January 15, 2013
at 18:09