Every year for Christmas growing up, the bottom of my stocking was filled with array of nuts, some chocolate, and an orange. A great way to have instant snacks early in the morning. The flavors of hazelnut, dark chocolate, and orange always make me think of Christmas. So, to recreate that childhood sensation I’ve made a rich Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse with hints of fresh orange zest.
Waking up on Christmas morning to a delicious chocolate mousse topped with chocolate cream and chocolate shavings sounds pretty good right? I may be older, but chocolate for the holidays is something I will never grow out of!
What makes this easy chocolate mousse even more special is that it’s made with olive oil. The addition of a high quality, smooth olive oil creates a melt in your mouth soft texture to this decadent dessert. Make sure you pick one that is not peppery and pairs well with chocolate.
Your taste buds will be flooded with a tingly sensation of orange and roasted hazelnut puree as well. Yep, this is much better than eating chocolate pudding. Make sure to grade your zest from a fresh orange. For the hazelnut puree, you can purchase roasted hazelnuts already out of the shell. Or, you can buy whole ones, roast them in your oven, then remove them from the shells once they’ve cooled. Either way, all you need is a food processor to blitz them a couple times into a soft mush.
Tips For Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
- Choose high quality baking dark chocolate 60-70% cocoa. You can use all bittersweet, all semi-sweet, or a mix of the two depending on your personal preference.
- Choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil. Some have different flavor profiles. I prefer using a smooth, low in spice option.
- When folding in the egg whites, use a soft rubber spatula or hand whisk and work them in slowly in a figure eight pattern, then once around the edges of the bowl. You don’t need to aggressively stir, but make sure to incorporate the egg whites completely into the chocolate hazelnut mixture.
- Chocolate mousse is a great dessert to serve at a holiday party. Simply make several hours before guests are to arrive and place in the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, add a piping of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
- 8 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate (70 % cocoa), chopped
- 1 ½ Cups Toasted Hazelnuts, chopped, then blended in mixer or food processor to create a fine texture
- ½ Cup (125 ml) Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Espresso Powder
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Orange Zest
- ⅛ tsp Sea Salt
- 4 Egg Whites
- ¼ Cup (50 grams) Granulated Sugar
Chocolate Cream
- 1 Cup (250 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4-6 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
Topping
- Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings
Instructions
Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
- In a double broiler or in a microwave safe bowl (stirring and heating for 30 second intervals until mostly melted) melt the Bittersweet Chocolate chunks.
- Transfer melted chocolate into large mixing bowl, stir in blended hazelnuts.
- Add the olive oil, vanilla, orange zest, espresso powder, and sea salt. Stir until combined set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on high, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Continuing to mix on medium high speed, slowly pour in sugar and continuing whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer stiff egg whites to the bowl of chocolate mixture. Fold egg whites completely into the chocolate mixture. You can use a hand whisk or a spatula, but make sure to completely incorporate the egg whites. No white streaks should be visible.
- Now you can transfer chocolate mousse to glass goblets, cups, or serving bowls. Use a spoon or transfer mousse to a large piping bag and cut a large tip. Then gently pipe chocolate mousse into serving vessel.
- Place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hrs.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Combine ingredients into bowl of stand mixer and whip on high with whisk attachment until thick and fluffy. Transfer to piping bag with desired tip and pipe onto chilled chocolate mousse before serving.
Chocolate Shavings
- Take a chunk or bar of dark chocolate and scrape with a vegetable peeler over your mousse.
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