Dark Chocolate Mousse

Dark, rich, gooey, delicious .... they all describe Dark Chocolate Mousse. Make it, eat it , love it!

1.  
2. 1. Place a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the bowl, followed by the créme fraiche, brandy, orange zest and juice. Heat until the chocolate has melted and all the ingredients have blended together.
3.  2. Taking care not to allow any yolk to leak, separate the yolks from the whites, placing the whites in a large, grease free bowl and the yolks into the chocolate mixture.
4. 3. Whisk the whites until they stand in soft peaks. Using the same whisk, give the chocolate mixture a final beat.
5. 4 Using a metal spoon, fold half of the whisked egg white into the chocolate. When you are sure all the whites have been folded in (you cannot see any blobs of white), fold in the remaining whites. Chill, preferably overnight.
6. Hint:
• 'Folding in' is different to beating mixture - it uses a cutting action and normally done with a large metal spoon, though often I use a spatula. This technique is used when you are trying to add air and lightness to a dish as beating would break the air bubbles.
• If you want to stretch the dessert to generously serve 8, accompany the mousse with fresh fruit and shortbread fingers. Either serve from a large bowl for your guests to help themselves, or portion in ramekin dishes then place on a dessert plate with the fruit and biscuit.