Chocolate Mousse Merengue Shells
Recipe By: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10 nests
 
Ingredients
  • FOR THE MOUSSE
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
    FOR THE MERENGUE
  • 4 egg whites at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
Preparation Instructions
  1. Start by making the mousse because it will need to chill before assembly.
  2. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
  3. Whip the cream and granulated sugar to soft peaks.
  4. Mix ⅓ of the cream into the chocolate, folding until totally combined.
  5. Then add the rest of the cream and fold until homogenous.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  7. Once you have that in the fridge, go about making the merengue.
  8. First preheat your oven to 300˚.
  9. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
  10. Add the sugar a little at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.
  11. Place a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and spoon about a tablespoon of the merengue into a disk about ¼" thick, repeat so there are 8 disks.
  12. Put the rest of the merengue into a large piping bag with a star tip fixed and pipe the 'walls' of the nests onto each disk.
  13. Bake until lightly golden, about 30-35 minutes but do not remove from the oven (this will cause them to crack) simply turn the oven off and close it, allowing them to cool completely in the oven.
  14. Once the nests are cooled, spoon a generous amount of the mousse into each nest, top with some chocolate shavings or curls and serve. (I tried to do the chocolate curls but it was too hot here in Florida and the chocolate wouldn't harden enough...oh well)
Recipe by Foods of Our Lives at https://www.foodsofourlives.com/2015/11/chocolate-mousse-merengue-shells/