I don’t know what it is, but I have been craving chocolate for weeks. I always enjoy the velvety, luscious stuff, but recently things have gotten out of hand.

It may be the time of year. I don’t mean the holiday set aside for eating chocolate and receiving roses, though the red cupids in florists’ windows may have a subliminal effect. It also isn’t my insatiable sweet tooth - I can bake whenever I want.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the culprits are these amazing new cocoa and chocolate bath products I bought. Allegedly, they’re great for my skin. Skin nothing - they are turning me into a chocolate fiend. I even caught myself accepting an inferior piece of candy to quench my afternoon desire last week. I keep soothing myself with little personal conversations about how few real vices I have. I am also deceptively content in the knowledge that I am not just “scarfing” up empty calories through chocolate, I am also doing myself a favor with all of those antioxidants.

This Super Bowl Sunday, instead of “wings and things,” I am making chocolate mousse. This is the best chocolate mousse just about ever. I have been making it for years and have served it to thousands of customers. And I am especially proud that I presented it one year as part of a plated dessert in a chocolate competition and it won. So, here it is.

Chocolate Mousse

The recipe is simple as the eggs are not separated. I discovered this quite accidentally of course. You don’t need to fold in the whites if you get enough air into the whole egg. My only requirement in sharing this with you is that you use the best quality chocolate you can find. It makes a huge difference in the end product. P.S. I am definitely buying the chocolate hand cream next. Keeping the craving going!

Serves 6-8

4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I prefer Callebaut)
¼ cup freshly brewed coffee
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 ½ tablespoons rum
1 vanilla bean, scraped
3 large eggs at room temp
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar

1. Place the chocolate and the coffee in a medium heat proof bowl in a skillet over barely simmering water. Gently melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat and add the scraped vanilla bean.

2. In a mixing bowl, place the eggs, water and sugar in the same simmering water and whisk until the eggs are 140. Remove the bowl and mix at high speed until the eggs resemble whipped cream (about 5 minutes). Fold the eggs into the chocolate and divide into serving bowls or ramekins ( I use champagne flutes).

3. The mousse will set up in the refrigerator after several hours. You can store the mousse covered in the serving bowls or glasses for up to 1 day.

Other recipes by Chef Frankel on The Jew & The Carrot:

Pumpkin Souffle
Almond Sponge Cake
Kalamata Tapenade

And check out the related article about pudding in this week’s New York Times Magazine.