Serve This Chocolate Dessert At Dinner Parties If You Want A Luxurious Treat Quick

With all the effort put into cleaning, seating arrangements, and preparing appetizers and entrees for your dinner party, it's easy to forget about planning the dessert. Of course, there are plenty of quick treats one can find in order to save time, but not all of them are quite right for an elegant dinner party. Luckily, chocolate mousse is a decadent dessert that comes together quickly for any event.

We understand wanting to serve your guests the freshest food possible, but making dessert ahead of time doesn't mean you'll need to sacrifice on flavor. Chocolate mousse is intended to be chilled hours ahead of serving, giving you ample time to whip it up before attending to more pressing matters. Some people even leave the dessert to sit in the fridge for a full day ahead, but the length you'll chill it for determines whether whipped cream or egg whites are better for your chocolate mousse. The treat thickens the longer it's chilled, and whipped cream already provides it with a rich mouthfeel, so you may not want to leave it for up to a day. Egg whites give chocolate mousse an airy, lightweight texture, allowing you to refrigerate it for more than 24 hours.

Chocolate mousse stored in the fridge lasts for up to five days, but eating it within two is best. Keep it tightly covered and wait until right before serving before finishing the mousse off with chocolate shavings, fresh berries, or other toppings.

Getting the texture right is one of the most important components when making mousse, but you'll also want to impart the treat with a flavor that will blow your dinner party attendants away. Cocoa powder gives chocolate mousse a velvety smooth texture, but it's also incredible for providing the dessert with a deep, chocolatey taste. Cocoa powder is slightly more bitter and earthy than other forms of the ingredient, giving your mousse a robust flavor. Whether you opt for cocoa powder or baking chocolate, though, whipping up chocolate mousse that complements the main course is sure to impress your guests.

If you're serving spicy fig and Thai chile-glazed pork tenderloin, incorporate ginger into your mousse. The sweet root elevates the earthiness of chocolate mousse, while providing it with a fiery element that makes for a more dynamic dessert. Top off the treat with finely-chopped pieces of candied ginger, or whip a sprinkle of ginger powder into the mousse.

If you plan on keeping things light with a seafood or poultry entree, opt for toasted white chocolate mousse. While it still has the same decadent texture as dark chocolate mousse, the delicate flavor works well with main courses that aren't too heavy. Top off the treat with berries, caramelized lemons, or a dollop of booze-infused whipped cream for a sweet nightcap.