Peppermint Desert

Peppermint  Desert

INGREDIENTS:

Flourless Chocolate Cake Layer:

• 6 large eggs
• 13 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (6 ounces), cut into small pieces

White Chocolate Mousse Layer:

• 1 teaspoon gelatin powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
  
  Candy Cane Layer:
• 8 candy canes or 4 ounces starlight mintsSpecial Supplies Needed:
• 18 small mason jars or ramekins
  double boiler

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat Oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Crack 6 Eggs into bowl
3. Beat until doubled in volume. This will take between 3-5 minutes depending on whether you do it by hand using a whisk, or by using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer.
4. Fill the bottom pot of a double boiler with 1 inch of water. Add top bowl and place chopped chocolate and butter inside. Turn heat onto low, stirring the chocolate often, until melted.
5. Slowly drizzle melted chocolate into the eggs, stirring to incorporate it all. I poured it in with my mixer on low. If you add too much warm chocolate all at once, you can cook the eggs, so go slowly, at least at first.
6. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
   Set 18 small mason jars or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Equally divide the flourless chocolate cake batter among the jars. I used a #16 scoop, but needed about 2 teaspoons more in each jar.
   Tap down the cake batter, and wipe the edges of the jar clean.
7. Place baking sheet in oven and carefully pour the boiling water into the pan, allowing the water to go half way up around the cake batter.
8. Bake for 18-22 minutes until an instant read thermometer inserted into one of the cakes registers 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t have a thermometer (you should really get one,) just bake until the cakes no longer look really wet. You don’t want to over bake these cakes. They should have the texture of cheesecake once cooled. They will sink slightly in the middle as they cool.
9. After the flourless chocolate cakes are completely cooled, make the white chocolate mousse. Pour a tablespoon of water into a small bowl and sprinkle on the 1 teaspoon of gelatin. Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
   Meanwhile, clean out your double boiler bowl. Pour 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream into bowl and set over pot filled with 1 inch of water. Heat on low until warm. Add gelatin, and stir until dissolved.
10. Add white chocolate and stir. When half of the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, then stir until melted. If it doesn’t all melt, heat for a minute or so longer
11. Pour melted white chocolate into a large mixing bowl, preferable one with a spout. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 1/4 cups of heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream at a time into the melted white chocolate until light and fluffy.
12. Crush the candy canes into small pieces. I put my canes in a gallon sized zip top bag and smashed them with my meat mallet. A rolling pin or the back of a pan will work just as well.
13. Pour white chocolate mousse over the cooled chocolate cakes. Sprinkle on crushed candy canes.
14. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
    I plan to cover my jars with the lids and place them in the freezer until December 23rd. Then I’ll refrigerate them until just before our open house on Christmas eve. Before the guests arrive, I’ll remove the lids and place them on the table.

Thank you HungryHappenings.com for this wildly delicious recipe!!!

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