Chocolate Crunch Mousse Recipe

Prepare gelatin

Sprinkle 5 g gelatin over 25 ml cold water in a small bowl. Let bloom 5–10 minutes.

Warm the milk in a saucepan until it just starts to steam (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and 50 g sugar together until slightly thickened and pale.

Temper the yolks by slowly streaming about one-third of the warm milk into the yolks while whisking constantly, then pour the tempered yolks back into the remaining milk in the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard coats the back of a spoon (about 80–82°C / 176–180°F). Do not boil.

Remove from heat. Add the chopped milk chocolate and the bloomed gelatin; let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Add a pinch of salt.

Let the chocolate custard cool to about 30–35°C (warm but not hot).

Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold one-third of whipped cream into the cooled chocolate custard to lighten it, then fold in remaining cream in two additions until homogeneous and airy.

Portion mousse into serving molds or rings if desired. Chill at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to set.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and set a heatproof bowl nearby.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 150 g sugar, 30 ml water and 15 ml corn syrup. Cook over medium heat without stirring until sugar dissolves; swirl pan gently if needed. Continue to cook until the syrup reaches a deep amber color (approx. 170–175°C).

Remove caramel from heat and quickly stir in the chopped roasted peanuts. Spread the hot peanut praline onto the prepared sheet in a thin layer. Let cool completely until hard.

Once cooled, roughly chop or blitz the praline in a food processor to large crunchy pieces.

Gently warm the peanut butter and butter together until fluid (microwave in short bursts or in a small saucepan). Stir in 1 tsp sea salt and fold into the chopped praline so pieces are coated and some clusters form. Cool to room temperature; pieces will remain crunchy but slightly sticky to combine with mousse.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and line a sheet pan (approx. 30 x 20 cm) or a 9x13-inch pan.

Whisk together 140 g flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder and 0.5 tsp salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add 100 g sugar, 2 eggs, 60 ml vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla; whisk until combined.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined; do not overmix.

Spread batter thinly and evenly in prepared pan (aim for a 1–1.5 cm thick layer). Bake 12–16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and top is lightly golden.

Cool completely on a rack. Trim to desired shapes (discs or rectangles) to layer in plated desserts.

Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl combine 100 g rolled oats, 60 g flour, 70 g light brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 0.25 tsp salt.

Cut in 80 g cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture forms coarse crumbs and some pea-sized clumps remain.

Spread crumble evenly on the baking sheet and bake 12–18 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and crisp. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Remove from oven and cool completely; crumble into smaller pieces for texture.

Sprinkle 7 g gelatin over 35 ml cold water; let bloom 5–10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine 300 ml red wine, 60 g sugar and 15 ml lemon juice. Warm gently until sugar dissolves; do not boil to preserve wine aromas.

Remove from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved.

Pour into a shallow pan or mold to set in a thin layer (approx. 5–7 mm thick). Chill until firm, at least 2–3 hours.

When set, cut into small cubes or use a small ring cutter to make shapes for plating.

For plated chef's tasting portions, plan to make 8 portions. From chilled mousse, remove from molds and place a layer on the plate (or pipe mousse into rings).

Place a trimmed piece of banana cake beneath or beside the mousse as a base or accent.

Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of cinnamon oat crumble around and on top of the mousse for crunch.

Scatter several pieces of the peanut butter praline crunch atop the mousse and around the plate for texture contrast.

Arrange a few cubes or shapes of red wine jelly on the plate to add acidity and color.

Garnish with a few toasted peanut halves, a light dusting of cocoa powder, thin banana slices (fresh or quickly macerated with a drop of lemon), and a micro mint leaf if desired.

Serve chilled. Store components separately in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours; assemble just before service to keep crunch elements crisp.