Vittoria Maher ’25 and Caitlin Canal ’25
During the holiday season, some of the main things we look forward to are the desserts that our family makes and brings to share. After dinner, despite being full, you are still excited to try the various items being served. One of my favorite things that used to happen at Christmas was when my grandma brought her favorite dessert: chocolate mousse. She always had her own way of making it, and it inevitably became my family’s favorite dessert at the table. She passed away before Christmas in 2018 which made it difficult for all of us that year. Recently, we found her recipe and it allows us to have a part of her with us during the holidays.
This chocolate mousse is fluffy and rich and with whipped cream on top, it creates the perfect combo. It’s one of my favorite desserts to have during the holidays, and I hope you guys can try and love it as well!
Prep time: 20 minutes
Refrigeration time: several hours or overnight
Ingredients:
- 6oz semisweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee mixed with 2 tablespoons of simple syrup
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Steps:
- Melt the chocolate in the Kahlua and orange juice and set aside to cool
- Put the egg yolks and eggs in the top of your blender with the vanilla and sugar
- Blend for 2 minutes at medium high speed
- Add the heavy cream and blend for another 30 seconds
- Add the melted and cooled chocolate and blend until smooth
- Pour into bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight
Whipped cream:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Steps:
(make sure bowl is ice cold before putting ingredients in)
- In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form
- Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form.
Top with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings! Enjoy!
Thanksgiving is one of my family’s favorite times of the year. We all get to come from wherever we have been, to celebrate and express gratitude, together. One of the things we are most grateful for and love during Thanksgiving is, obviously, food. The main course is always something we look forward to. However, dessert is what makes Thanksgiving that much more special. No matter how different my family’s opinions are, the one thing we can agree on is how good my mom’s brandied pumpkin pie is. This is something we have every year and will always be a family favorite. The combination of spices certainly encompasses the fall season, and the dash of whipped cream on top gives it that extra bit of sweetness. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients for the crust:
¼ cups all-purpose flour (150 grams)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), preferably a high-fat, European style, chilled and cubed
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed
Steps:
- Pulse together the flour and salt in the food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, not wet. On a lightly floured surface, form the dough in a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp edges. Prick crust all over with a fork, then chill crust for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool on rack until needed.
Ingredients for filling:
- 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar (160 grams)
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger (4 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (3 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (3 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- Pinch ground clove
Steps:
Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, cream, dark brown sugar, brandy, ginger, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and clove. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie shell. Transfer pie to a large baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden and the center jiggles just slightly when shaken, 50 to 60 minutes.
Border by Katie Nguyen ’23