Chocolate Mousse, Caramel & Hazelnut Praline

3h 20m

This is a very complete and balanced dessert. Both in texture and taste, the creaminess of the mousse, the crunchiness of the praline, the bitterness of the chocolate, the sweetness of the caramel, and the fresh acidity of the orange are all balanced in a very interesting dessert that can also be made into a large platter to serve at a family dinner or special occasion.

Fill ⅓ of a pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat
Add 450 g of dark chocolate to a large heat-proof bowl, and place it on top of the pot of hot water. Stir the chocolate until completely melted
Separate the whites from 8 eggs. Reserve the yolks in a separate bowl
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until it triples in volume
Slowly add 35 g of sugar, while whisking on medium-high speed. Continue whisking until you obtain stiff peaks
Add 200 g of heavy cream to a bowl. Whisk until you obtain stiff peaks
Add 20 g of sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk until you obtain a light yellow and creamy mix
Add the whipped cream to the egg yolk mixture, in 3 batches. Gently fold the mix with each addition to incorporate it completely
Add the egg yolk and cream mixture into the melted chocolate in 3 parts, gently folding to combine
Add the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture, in 3 batches, gently folding to combine with each addition
Scoop the mousse into 10 individual serving dishes
Cover each dish with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1h to set
Add 1 cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of milk to a pot over medium-low heat
Heat the milk until small bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat
Melt 1 cup of sugar in a large pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it turns golden
Carefully pour the warm milk over the caramelized sugar. Stir to incorporate and remove from the heat
Add 2½ tbsp of butter and mix until combined
Add salt to taste and mix it. The salted caramel is ready
Place 200 g of white sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and melt until it turns into an amber caramel
Add 200 g peeled and toasted hazelnuts. Toss to coat all the hazelnuts. Turn off the heat
Place the praline on a sheet of parchment paper and spread it out
Let it cool down at room temperature. The hazelnut praline is ready
Pour the Salted Caramel over the Chocolate Mousse to taste
Chop the Hazelnut Praline into chunky pieces
Add the chopped praline over the caramel
Add strips of candied orange peel and flaky salt to taste. The chocolate mousse, caramel & hazelnut praline is ready
Dive into this dessert and enjoy!