For Chocolate Mousse Day (3 April) - okay it's in the US, but we're jumping on board! - we're sneaking it into anything we can, from cake layers to teacups, so prepare to get loose with chocolate mousse!
All good mousseketeers know the key to a good mousse is air. So whip it real good and fold gently to ensure you don't knock the wind out of your mixture. This is sure to get your addiction underway and you can play around with variations once mastered.
Dutch chocolate mousse
Now that you've mastered your basic mousse (above), Rachel Khoo takes it a step further by combining for a decidedly decadent dalliance into a mousse. To that, she adds cocoa nibs, just in case you weren't already in raptures.
Chocolate mousse with cocoa nibs
OK, so the vessel is rather more dainty than a mug, but this is made with avocado for those of you wringing your hands at the opulence of (above). Creaminess trumps airiness here with a smooth and slick consistency achieved thanks to the avo and a sneaky banana.
Chilli chocolate mousse
Get your mousse in between the layers of this and make that thing touch the sky. Oozing from the sides of the cake like a muffin top, this thick, whipped treat is gonna get messy.
Chocolate layer cake with chocolate mousse icing Source: Petrina Tinslay
This one is an absolute favourite and it's also vegan-friendly AND dairy-free! Spread this Spanish chocolate pâte on some toasted bread, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with salt - be warned,may just be your undoing.
Source: Hardie Grant Books
This one may just be our favourite and it has nothing to do with the addition of rum, really. Just look at that slice beckoning with its alluring air pockets and fluffy sponge. Add some poached pears into the mix to cut through the richness with a little more sweetness, and you have our undoing.
Chocolate, pear and rum mousse cake
While this may feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast, is a fantastically healthy start to the day and also a great way to use up those half-eaten avos and bananas you've got floating around.
Choc-avocado mousse Source: Chris Middleton
pairs beautifully with chocolate in this silky smooth mousse garnished with crushed pistachios and rose petals. Be sure to use a thin pouring cream to achieve a light, silky smooth texture. The mousse will appear slightly runny when poured into serving glasses but don’t worry because it thickens once it cools and sets.
Chocolate mastiha mousse Source: Helen Tzouganatos
The Spanish fell in love with chocolate and spread it around the world. And this smooth operator of a mousse sits almighty on a bed of chocolate soil - this is big spoon territory. Chocolate, orange, olive oil and salt all pop on .
Chocolate and orange mousse with olive oil and salt Source: The Chefs' Line
This mousse is so formidable it needs to be restrained by a wall of meringue shards! Like sentries guarding a treasure, the meringue perimeter keeps the luscious mousse at bay, but they won't stop you from tucking in.
Hazelnut concorde cake Source: Petrina Tinslay
This light-as-air made with bittersweet 70 per cent cocoa chocolate gets a little nutty with the addition of Nocino, an Italian liqueur made from walnuts, making it perfectly fine to serve as an apéritif.If you'd like to get loose with something else:
Chocolate mousse