Last month I made an updated version of my favorite showstopper chocolate raspberry mousse cake. It was delicious and I will absolutely be making it again; but that cake is definitely a multi-day, special occasion project. I had some elements leftover from assembly and decided to try remixing them into a more casual bake. Thus, these no-bake chocolate mousse bars were born!
These bars feature a crunchy feuilletine layer, a rich but airy dark chocolate custard mousse, and a shiny berry glaze. The berry glaze was an obvious choice for me since I had some leftover from my cake; but if you’re short on time you could sub that for a thin layer of ganache (quantities/instructions included in recipe card) or even a dollop of whipped cream.
BTW, if you’re wondering what feuilletine is, head on over to my newsletter where I tell you all about this magical ingredient and how to get it or make it yourself! For these bars, I used homemade feuilletine.
These bars are assembled in a standard 8×8 pan and don’t require an oven or a stand mixer. (A hand mixer is helpful for whipping the cream, but you could do it by hand if so inclined!) They’re easily whipped up in an afternoon, but fancy enough to serve at a party.
Enjoy!
No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Bars
Yield: One 8x8 pan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours40 minutes
Crunchy chocolate feuilletine base, creamy chocolate mousse, and shiny glaze combine in this easy-fancy no-bake dessert.
Ingredients
For the feuilletine base:
100g feuilletine flakes, crushed
100g bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used 70%)
100g pistachio or hazelnut cream (such as Pisti brand, or Nutella)
For the chocolate mousse:
257g bittersweet chocolate (I used 55%), chopped
2 large egg yolks
14g granulated sugar
68g heavy cream (cream 1)
68g whole milk
266g heavy cream (cream 2)
For the topping:
150g berry mirror glaze (see notes) OR
100g milk chocolate
50g heavy cream
Instructions
Prep: Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with two criss-crossing pieces of parchment, leaving about 3 inches of overhang on two sides, and lightly grease.
Make the feuilletine layer: Place the crushed feuilletine in a medium bowl. Whisk together the melted chocolate and hazelnut paste until smooth. Scrape the mixture over the feuilletine and mix well to coat. Spread evenly and firmly into the base of the prepared pan. Refrigerate to set while you prepare the mousse.
Make the chocolate mousse: Place the chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring well between bursts. Set aside to cool slightly. (Alternatively you can do this in a double boiler/bain-marie.)
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined. Add cream 1 and the milk and whisk until well combined. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 175-180F.
Strain the custard over the melted chocolate and stir to form a smooth ganache.
In a large bowl, whip cream 2 to barely soft peaks. Use a whisk or silicone spatula to gently fold in the slightly warm ganache a third at a time. Fold just until the mixture is homogenous. Scrape the mousse over the prepared base and smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours before adding the glaze.
Make the topping: If using berry glaze, prepare the berry glaze and cool to ~90F (it should be fairly liquid and a little warmer than room temperature).
If using ganache, combine the chopped milk chocolate and heavy cream in a heat safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring well between bursts, until smooth. For this small amount it should only take a couple bursts.
Add the topping: If using the berry glaze, gently pour the glaze over the mousse, tilting the pan if needed to cover the entire surface. (Note: I like to pour the glaze through a small sieve to catch any air bubbles.)
If using ganache, scrape the ganache over the mousse and use an offset spatula to smooth it across the entire surface.
Whichever you choose, refrigerate uncovered for an additional 2 hours to fully set the mousse and topping before slicing and serving.
To slice: Use the excess parchment to remove the mousse bars and transfer to a cutting board. For the cleanest slices, dip a sharp chef's knife in hot water and dry off the blade between slices. Serve chilled. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
One of our favorite annual traditions is cherry picking. Every July, we wake up early one morning and drive about an west hour to a gorgeous orchard that boasts a stunning variety of cherry trees, sweet and sour. Most of the sweet cherries we pick are enjoyed by the bowlful over the next week or so; but I try to sneak a few handfuls to make some kind of treat. This year I really wanted to celebrate the classic chocolate + cherry + cream combination, but wasn’t really feeling black forest cake. It had been awhile since I’d broken out the tart pan, so I dreamed up this chocolate cherry tart.
Sometimes my random dessert ideas need a bit of tweaking before I feel comfortable sharing any kind of recipe, but this one was an instant home run. The chocolate creme legere is one of my favorite fillings ever (I can eat it by the spoonful); and sandwiched between a rich ganache and fresh cherries it is just next level delicious.
Baker’s notes:
The pate sucree recipe makes enough for two 9″ tarts. You can halve the recipe if you want, but future me loves having an extra portion of dough in the freezer for easy dessert prep!
There are a few elements to this tart and you can spread the work over a couple days (make and bake the tart case on day one and make the fillings on day two). However, it also comes together easily in a morning or afternoon if you use the resting times for different components to prepare other parts of the recipe. I’ve indicated in the recipe when I would prep each element if I were making this tart in one day.
Like many fruit tarts, the success of this dessert largely depends on the freshness and quality of your fruit. I suggest using ripe but firm sweet cherries for the topping — personally, I like ones that have a touch of acidity to them. If cherries aren’t in season, I imagine raspberries or currants would be delicious!
Chocolate cherry tart
Yield: One 9" tart
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour15 minutes
A stunning summer tart filled with rich cherry ganache, lush chocolate creme legere, and tons of fresh cherries.
Ingredients
For the chocolate pate sucree:
250g all-purpose flour
22g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
100g icing sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
175g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg, cold
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
For the chocolate creme legere:
300g whole milk
60g granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
20g cornstarch
10g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 large egg yolks + 1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
21g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
85g bittersweet chocolate (I used 70%), chopped
200g heavy cream
25g sour cream (or substitute more heavy cream)
20g icing sugar
For the cherry ganache:
8g unsalted butter
35g fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved
Splash of kirsch, amaretto, or amaro (optional)
40g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used 70%)
30g heavy cream (35%)
For garnish
Lots of fresh (ripe but firm) sweet cherries, pitted and halved
Apricot jam (optional)
Instructions
Make the chocolate pate sucree:
Place the flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
Scatter the butter over the top of the flour mixture. Pulse several times until the butter is about the size of peas.
Whisk together the egg and vanilla. Add the egg mixture in three stages, pulsing after each addition. Once all the egg is added, pulse in 10-second increments until the dough forms clumps but is not completely smooth. Once the dough reaches this stage, remove half of the dough and place on a piece of parchment. (You only need half the dough for this recipe, so you can wrap and freeze the remainder for the future or try one of my ideas for extra tart dough!)
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Use your hands to press the dough into a round, then roll it out into a roughly 12-inch (30-cm) circle about ¼-inch (6-mm) thick. Lift and replace the top piece of plastic occasionally to avoid creases in the dough.
Slide the sheet of dough onto a baking sheet (still sandwiched between the parchment and plastic). Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. (This is a good time to make the chocolate pastry cream base.)
Once chilled, remove the unbaked crusts from the fridge and let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes, just long enough to make it pliable. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart tin. Turn the dough into the tart tin. Gently lift the edges and press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tin. Don’t worry if it cracks or breaks here and there; the dough is forgiving and you can gently press it back together.
Trim the edge of the dough even with the top of the tart tin (you can gently roll a rolling pin over the top or use a small paring knife). If there are any tears or cracks, use some of the extra dough to patch it up; reserve the extra dough for repairing any cracks that might appear after baking. Pierce the bottom of the dough all over with a fork, then wrap in plastic and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Remove the chilled tart dough from the freezer. Lightly grease the dull side of a piece of foil and fit it firmly over the chilled tart dough. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil (if the crust has risen at all, press it down gently with the back of a spoon). If any cracks have formed, use some of the reserved dough to patch them. Bake the crust or another 5 to 10 minutes, or until firm and dry. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before filling.
Make the chocolate creme legere:
Place a strainer over a medium heat-safe bowl or container.
Off heat, combine the milk, 20g of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 45g sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. Pour in about 2 tbsp of the milk mixture and whisk to form a smooth paste. Add the egg yolks and whole egg and whisk until smooth.
Heat the milk over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat. Pour the milk in a slow, steady stream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Scrape the custard mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and large bubbles appear on the surface. Once the bubbles appear, turn the heat down to medium-low and continue whisking on the heat for 2 minutes.
Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract, butter, and chocolate. Strain the pastry cream into the prepared bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until set (at least two hours, or up to 3 days). (This is a good time to bake and cool the tart crust and make the cherry ganache.)
When ready to fill the tart, whip the heavy cream, sour cream, and icing sugar to medium peaks. Whisk the pastry cream to loosen, then use a flexible spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream in three additions. Fold just until homogenous and no streaks of cream remain. Use immediately.
Make the cherry ganache:
Prepare the ganache once the tart case is baked and cooled. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the cherries and saute, stirring frequently, until soft and the juices have released, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the liqueur, if using. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use an immersion blender or small food processor to blitz until smooth.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and cream. Heat in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each burst, until the chocolate is 80% melted. Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is emulsified. Stir in the cherry puree (you can use an immersion blender if you want the ganache extra smooth). Pour ganache into the cooled tart case and tilt to cover the entire bottom. Chill in the refrigerator to set (this should happen within 10 minutes as the layer is thin).
To finish:
Spread the chocolate creme legere over the set ganache. (You may have a little extra; enjoy as a baker's treat!) Press a piece of plastic over the top and chill for at least an hour to set.
Right before serving, decorate with fresh cherries. (If not planning to eat the entire tart that day, you can brush the cherries with some apricot jam to keep them from drying out and discoloring.) Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Whether you’re looking for a Valentine’s treat or something sweet to chase away the winter blues, these strawberry mango cream puffs are the perfect baking project! They are so, so fun to make and incredibly fresh and delicious. Thanks to a couple magical ingredients, these sweet little pastries boast an intense fruity flavor that will transport you to a tropical location (or at least bring to mind memories of warmer days!).
Pâte à choux
Pâte à choux, or choux pastry, is really a magical thing. Mastering choux opens up a whole world of cream puffs, eclairs, crullers, gougeres and other delicious pastries; so it’s really worth spending time to get comfortable making it. (I’ve even got a whole chapter of choux recipes in my cookbook!) Honestly, making choux is not hard; as long as your recipe is solid you just need to make it a few times to get a sense of the visual cues and dough consistency, and to work out the best practices for your oven. If you’re new to choux, I recommend reading this tutorial at IronWhisk and this article on Serious Eats for a plethora of useful tips. Then just practice! Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.
Craquelin
If you’ve ever wondered how professional bakeries get perfectly round cream puffs with that pretty crackly top, the answer is craquelin! Craquelin is basically a simple cookie dough. You roll it out thinly, then punch out little round cookies the same size as your piped choux dough. These cookies are placed on top of the choux right before baking; as the pastries bake, the craquelin bakes onto the puff, crisping and cracking along the way. Craquelin adds a hint of sweetness and texture (plus extra wow factor!) to your cream puffs, but feel free to omit it.
Specialty Ingredients
To make these strawberry mango cream puffs as written, you’ll need a couple of special ingredients. The first is strawberry couverture chocolate — I used Valrhona Strawberry Inspiration. This type of chocolate is made with freeze dried fruit for an intense and natural fruit flavor. It is truly delicious — I have to hide mine to keep my kids from snacking on it! I bought mine from a local baking supply store, but Strawberry Inspiration is readily available online. If you can’t source this ingredient, you can substitute regular good-quality white chocolate and make a whipped white chocolate ganache instead.
The second specialty ingredient is freeze-dried mango. I got freeze-dried mango at Trader Joe’s, but again it’s fairly easy to find online or at specialty food shops. You cannot substitute regular dried fruit or puree in this recipe as the water content and flavor intensity is not the same. However, you can substitute another freeze-dried fruit or just omit the freeze-dried fruit if you prefer; the filling will still be delicious.
Baker’s Notes
While there are a lot of components in this recipe, none of the steps are very hard and you can spread out the work over a couple of days. I like making the strawberry ganache and craquelin a day ahead, then the rest of the components the day of serving. I’ve also included make-ahead notes in the recipe for additional options.
If you’re short on time, you can make just one of the fillings! If you do just the strawberry ganache, I would cut off the top third of each puff with a serrated knife, then pipe the filling inside. Replace the tops after adding the filling. Alternatively, fill the puffs with lightly sweetened whipped cream, pastry cream, or ice cream.
I have large baking sheets and can bake off this entire batch at once. Depending on the size of your baking sheets, you may need to bake on two sheets. I prefer to bake one sheet at a time for best results. The second sheet of piped choux can be kept at room temperature while the first bakes (wait until right before baking to put the craquelin on). Raise the oven temperature back up to 425F before baking the second sheet. Alternatively, bake both sheets at the same time on racks in the upper and lower thirds. Bake the puffs for at least 25 minutes before rotating the sheets.
150g eggs (about 3 large), at room temperature and lightly beaten to combine
For the mango cream:
50g freeze dried mango
50g granulated sugar
78g cream cheese, cold and cubed
Pinch of kosher salt
300g heavy cream, cold
To finish:
Sprinkles, freeze-dried fruit bits, fresh fruit slices (optional)
Method:
Make the strawberry ganache: Finely chop the strawberry inspiration chocolate and place in a heatsafe bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until steaming. Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until combined. Cool to room temperature, then press a sheet of plastic wrap against the surface and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
Make the craquelin topping: In a small bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and roll dough to about 1/16″ thickness . Freeze while you prepare the choux. (Craquelin can be made up to 1 month in advance; freeze, well wrapped, until ready to use — no need to defrost.)
Make the choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 425F with a rack in the middle and line a large baking sheet (see baker’s notes) with parchment paper.
Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a strong simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as the mixture is simmering, remove the pot from the heat and dump the flour in all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is completely incorporated.
Return the pot to low heat. Continue stirring vigorously until the mixture clears the side of the pot and forms a ball and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes. The dough should register 170-175F on an instant-read thermometer and be stiff enough that if you stick a small spoon in it, the spoon remains upright. Immediately transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the dough on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes to release the steam. An instant-read thermometer should read no warmer than 140F —any hotter and you’ll cook the eggs when adding them!
When the dough has cooled sufficiently and with the mixer still on low, add about one-third of the beaten eggs in a slow, steady stream. Mix until the egg has been completely absorbed, then add more egg 1 tbsp at a time, mixing each addition in completely before adding more. When you’ve added most of the egg and the dough has taken on a glossy sheen, check the dough consistency—a finger dragged through it should leave a trough and a peak of dough should form where the finger is lifted. Once the dough passes this test, it’s ready. You may not need all the egg—I usually have 1 to 2 tbsp leftover.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Pipe mounds of dough about 1 3/4 in diameter on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each.
Cut the craquelin rounds: Once all the puffs have been piped, remove the craquelin dough from the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for a minute or two to soften slightly, making it easier to cut. Use a round cutter the same diameter as the puffs to cut out circles of dough, one per puff. Gather and reroll the scraps as needed. Place one craquelin round on each puff, pressing lightly to adhere.
Bake the choux: Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are completely golden brown and feel hollow when you pick one up. About 5 minutes before the puffs are done, use a skewer or small knife to poke a small hole in each puff to help them crisp (avoid opening the oven door before this as the heat loss may cause the puffs to collapse!). Once the puffs are done, turn the oven off, prop open the door, and allow to cool in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (You can freeze baked choux buns in an airtight container for up to 2 months; defrost at room temperature right before filling. You can make them a day ahead and store at room temperature for up to a day, but you’ll want to recrisp them in a 325F oven for about 10 minutes as the pastry will soften. Cool completely before filling.)
Make the mango cream: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the freeze-dried mango and sugar. Pulse until the mango has broken down into a fine powder, about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and salt and pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add the cold cream and process until the mixture resembles very thick yogurt, about 45-60 seconds. Be very careful not to over-process as you’ll end up with a fruit butter! Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate until needed.
Whip the strawberry ganache: Using a handheld mixer or whisk, whip the chilled strawberry ganache until it thickens, lightens in color, and holds medium-stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a french star tip. Refrigerate until needed.
Assemble the strawberry mango cream puffs: Use a chopstick to poke a hole into the bottom of each puff. Snip off the tip of the piping bag holding the mango cream. Insert the tip into the hole and pipe in the mango cream until the puff feels heavy. Repeat until all puffs have been filled. Pipe a swirl of whipped strawberry ganache on top. Garnish with sprinkles, chopped bits of freeze-dried fruit, or slices of fresh fruit. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate and enjoy within 4 hours of assembly. The puffs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, but the pastry will get progressively soggier with time.
This is my favorite chocolate cake to make for small celebrations. It’s really simple to whip up, but it stands nice and tall for an impressive treat. The cake itself is sturdy (especially important for these minis), but still has a fine, moist crumb. We are big chocolate raspberry fans around here so I almost always fill it with raspberry jam, but use whatever floats your boat (peanut butter, nutella, another jam…). I often use up bits and bobs of frosting I have leftover from other baking projects, but if you don’t have anything on hand I highly recommend this ganache. It’s also super easy to make (just requires some time to set up to a frosting consistency), and it’s rich so a little goes a long way.
I typically bake this cake in my 4-inch cake pans. If I’m super lazy, I’ll just split the batter between the two pans (they’ll be about 3/4 full but I haven’t had any problems with overflowing), but usually I’ll bake some off in a little ramekin for a baker’s treat.
Mini Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Ganache
Makes one 6-layer 4-inch cake
Ingredients:
For the mini chocolate cake (adapted from Linda Lomelino):
100 g unsalted butter
1/4 c milk
120g AP flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
34g dutch-processed cocoa powder
157g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, at room temperature
80g (1/3 c) sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c hot coffee or espresso
For the strawberry ganache (adapted from The Cake Bible):
204g bittersweet chocolate (~53% works best here — I used half milk and half 70%)
51g white chocolate
139g heavy cream
81g strawberry puree
For assembly:
Simple syrup
~1/2 c raspberry preserves or jam
Fresh berries, for garnish
Method:
For the mini chocolate cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottoms of two 4-inch pans (plus an extra ramekin, if desired) with parchment paper, then grease the pans and dust them with cocoa powder.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When the butter has melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the milk and vanilla. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the sour cream into the butter mixture, followed by the egg. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until combined. Add the hot coffee and whisk just until smooth.
Divide the batter among the pans (I usually put ~275g into each of the cake tins and the rest into the ramekin) and bake for 30-35 minutes (20-25 minutes for the ramekin), or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once the pans are cool enough to handle, run a thin knife around the edges and turn the cakes out to finish cooling completely. For easiest assembly, I prefer to chill the cakes in the fridge before filling and frosting.
For the strawberry ganache:
Break the chocolate into small pieces and process in a food processor until very fine.
Heat the cream and strawberry puree in a small saucepan until just before the boiling point.
With the food processor running, pour the cream mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl or glass measuring cup and allow to cool at room temperature until ganache reaches a spreadable consistency (this takes me 2-3 hours).
To assemble:
Level the cakes and cut each into 3 thinner layers for a total of 6 layers.
Place the first layer of cake on a cake board or serving plate (use a dab of ganache to “glue” it in place) and brush with simple syrup.
Pipe a ring of ganache around the edge and fill the center with raspberry jam. Continue this process until you’ve used up all the layers.
Spread a thin layer of ganache over the entire cake to lock in the crumbs, followed by a thicker coat. (My kitchen was on the cold side, so my ganache set pretty quickly and I didn’t need to refrigerate the cake between coats.)
Garnish with fresh berries and serve at room temperature.
. If I’m super lazy, I’ll just split the batter between the two pans (they’ll be about 3/4 full but I haven’t had any problems with overflowing), but usually I’ll bake some off in a little ramekin for a baker’s treat.
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