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Acclaimed TV chef Lorraine Pascale creates the perfect chocolate mousse.

Chocolate mousse with raspberries

Light and fluffy, this mousse can be made with many different types of chocolate - if you prefer a slightly sweeter dessert, use more milk chocolate and less dark. Use the freshest eggs you can find as they will be eaten raw.

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Tips and techniques

Use good quality chocolate, not 'cooking' chocolate

Use very fresh eggs as they will be eaten raw. (Avoid serving to the very young, the infirm or pregnant women)

To keep the air in the whisked egg whites and sugar, fold in the chocolate mixture gently but quickly聽

Ingredients

• 200 ml double cream
• 150g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 50g milk chocolate
• 3 very fresh medium eggs
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 50 fresh raspberries
• 2tsp icing sugar to decorate

Preparation method

Put the double cream in a small pan on a medium heat and leave to warm up.

Meanwhile, snap the chocolate up into small pieces. Once the cream is just starting to steam, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate. Don鈥檛 stir it (tempting though it is!) but just leave it to sit and melt for about 5 mins or so.

In the meantime, separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a mug or small bowl and the whites in a large spotlessly clean bowl (or the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer, if using).

Whisk the whites, preferably using a hand-held electric whisk (or the electric mixer) until they reach a medium peak. To test, stick the whisk into the egg white and then flip it handle side down. The peak should look like a floppy Noddy鈥檚 hat, not standing up straight to attention. If so, then add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and whisk it up again until the whites begin to become shiny. Then while continuing to whisk, add another tablespoon of the sugar. Make sure that the whites are whisked up well and all of the sugar is dissolved before whisking in the final tablespoon of sugar.

Meanwhile, have a look at the chocolate. It may not look like it, but the chocolate will most likely be melted by now, so stir everything together. Then add the egg yolks and stir to combine.

Once the whites are lovely and thick and glossy, stir in a spoonful of the chocolate mixture. This will loosen the whites up a bit and make it easier to manage the next step. Gradually pour all of the chocolate into the egg whites and then gently fold them together. Try not to be too heavy-handed or over mix this, as it is good to keep as much air as possible in it.

Divide between the four 150ml glasses or ramekins and lightly press the raspberries into the tops. Cover each one loosely with cling film and then pop in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up (or if you want to eat them ASAP, put them in the freezer for 15 minutes). These can be made in the morning for a dinner party in the evening. If in the fridge for that long, I like to take them out 15 minutes or so before I need them so that they are not too cold for the guests.

Just before serving, decorate the top of the mousse with icing sugar. I hold a piece of paper with a straight edge quite closely over the part I don鈥檛 want the icing sugar to be on and then dust away (through a fine sieve) to give a nice detail over about a third of the top.

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