Chocolate mint mousse- bittersweet and addictive – makes for a tasty summer treat.   The kind of treat that’ll make you forget your manners and start licking every last touch of the chocolate minty goodness from your fingertips.   Desserts don’t find their way to our supper table too often – aside from fresh fruit – but I couldn’t resist developing this sinfully easy treat. It’s the kind of sweet that’ll make your children beg and your guests wistfully accept any dinner invitation in hope that chocolate mint mousse might make a reappearance.

Truthfully, this chocolate mint mousse is more like a cross between a mousse and a stirred custard as, classically, mousse doesn’t incorporate the use of cream or milk.   Likewise, this chocolate mint mousse – as pudding-licious as it is – isn’t quite a pudding either since it uses no cornstarch that classic pudding thickener that serves no useful or nutritional purpose outside of its duties as a thickener.

My son and I visited the neighboring farmers market.   Yes, I know.   It’s ridiculous that even in the time off from running our farmers market, we still visit other markets as leisure.   Nonetheless, my little guy fell in love with this chocolate mint plant from a Certified Naturally Grown farm.   Who can blame him?   It’s chocolate and it’s mint.   Besides, the scraggly red cabbage seedling he picked up two weeks ago has since been devoured by neighboring chipmunks.   Who knew that chipmunks love cabbage so much?

So the chocolate mint found a home with a three-year old who promises tender care, and I found inspiration.

Chocolate Mint Mousse

Ingredients for Chocolate Mint Mousse:

• 1 Handful of Chocolate Mint Leaves (if available, or any mint or no mint at all if you’re strapped)
• 1 ¼ Cup Whole Milk or Cream
• 4 Whole Eggs
• 1 Cup Cocoa Powder
• ¾ Cup Whole, Unrefined Cane Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ Teaspoon Mint Extract
• ¼ Teaspoon Unrefined Sea Salt

Making Chocolate Mint Mousse

1. Crush the chocolate mint leaves, reserving a few as garnish.   Crushing mint releases its flavors in a way that chopping and mincing just doesn’t do.
2. Pour the milk or cream in a pot and heat it over a low flame, and when it comes to blood temperature remove it from the heat. Add the mint and allow it to steep in the warm milk for a ½ hour or so.
3. Strain the mint leaves from the milk and return the milk to the stove heating it on a medium-low temperature.
4. Add eggs, cocoa and salt.
5. Whisk well until all ingredients are well-combined.
6. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the mousse is well-thickened.   Whisk continously to make sure the mousse thickens evenly.
7. Remove the chocolate mint mousse from the heat when it reaches a pudding-like consistency.   Mix in the vanilla and mint extract.
8. Pour into dishes and allow to cool.   Garnish with chocolate mint leaves, fresh berries and fresh cream if you have it.

This chocolate mint mousse serves 8 with small, satisfyingly rich portions.   A little bit goes a long, long way.

If the promise of pure pleasure isn’t enough whip up a batch of chocolate mint mousse, consider this: chocolate is rich in polyphenols and is thought offer greater antioxidant capacity than both red wine and green tea.   Moreover, cocoa is rich in zinc, magnesium, manganese and copper as well as protein and dietary fiber.   Besides.   In a study published in Epidemiology, consumption of chocolate was found to decrease the likelihood of developing pre-eclampsia among pregnant women while a Finnish study indicates that the babies of women eating chocolate during pregnancy are more apt to smile and laugh than babies of mothers who eschewed or limited intake of the luscious goodness.

You can tell I ate my fair share of chocolate, can’t you?

Cross-posted at Real Food Wednesday.

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