Chocolate Recipe

Prepare chocolate

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.

Warm milk and temper yolks

In a small saucepan, combine the whole milk and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat until just simmering and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 2–3 minutes). Do not let it boil.

Combine with chocolate

Pour the hot milk/yolk mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the unsalted butter and a pinch of salt until incorporated. Set this chocolate custard (crème anglaise style) aside to cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally to prevent skinning.

Whip cream and fold

In a chilled bowl, whip 1.5 cups cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the slightly cooled chocolate custard vigorously to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions using a spatula, preserving air and keeping the mixture light. Do not overmix. Transfer the mousse to serving glasses or a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (preferably 3) to set.

Make praline

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water over medium heat. Without stirring, swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar melts and turns an amber caramel (watch closely to avoid burning). Once amber, immediately remove from heat and carefully stir in the toasted hazelnuts (1 cup) until evenly coated. If using, stir in 1 teaspoon butter for shine. Spread the caramel-coated nuts in a single layer on the prepared sheet and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Let cool completely until hard (about 15–20 minutes).

Process praline

When cool, break the praline into pieces and pulse in a food processor until it reaches desired texture: pulse briefly for coarse chunks (to sprinkle) or longer for a sandy paste to fold into mousse. Reserve about 2 tablespoons coarse praline for garnish and 2 tablespoons fine praline to fold into the mousse if you want a nutty ribbon.

Garnish prep

Toast 12 hazelnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.

Make Frangelico whipped cream

In a small chilled bowl, whip 1/2 cup cold heavy cream with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar to soft peaks. Fold in 2 teaspoons Frangelico gently until incorporated. Keep chilled until assembly.

Assemble

Once mousse has set, if you reserved 2 tablespoons fine praline, lightly fold it into the top layer of mousse or sprinkle between layers when serving. Pipe or spoon a dollop (about 1 tablespoon) of Frangelico whipped cream onto each mousse serving. Sprinkle with reserved coarse praline pieces and dust lightly with unsweetened cocoa powder. Top each serving with a toasted hazelnut half.