For the Love of Chocolate - Tuesdays with Dorie, Baking Chez Moi

All you need is love.

But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

- Charles M. Schulz

Marquise au Chocolat is a rich, soft, velvety, heavenly, creamy, and incredible dark chocolate mousse that is frozen in a loaf pan, sliced, and traditionally served over creme anglaise. Of course, Dorie provides creative variations for add-ins, molding and garnishing, like adding a crust of crushed cookies, freezing in individual ramekins, and/or serving with whipped cream, but there are endless ways to be creative with this dessert! 

I kept mine simple and elegant with a light dusting of cocoa powder, fresh berries, a few sprigs of mint, and whipped cream.

My Marquise au Chocolat was waiting for me when I arrived home from work last evening, having been made the night before. I couldn't wait to have dessert before dinner, but I had to whip up some whipped cream, slice, plate, garnish and photograph first!

The loaf pan is lined with plastic wrap before the mousse goes in, wrapped tightly in more plastic wrap, and then placed in the freezer until frozen. Dorie suggests using dental floss to cleanly slice it, which I tried, but my mousse was still too firm. As you can see, I got impatient and used a knife. My dusting of cocoa powder was more to cover up the crinkled exterior from the plastic wrap impression, but I think it added a nice touch.

I don't think it's a coincidence the Tuesdays with Dorie members voted to make this dessert just days before Valentine's Day. I'm sure it will be a heavenly ending to a romantic dinner for two!

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Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. We bake with two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I am baking along with the Baking Chez Moi group, which bakes two recipes per month and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.