Chocolate Mousse with Baileys Cream & Baileys Butterscotch Sauce - Bakemas Day 3

If you’re going to add alcohol to your food at any point in the year Christmas is the time to do it and baileys cream makes mousse 97.3% better, trust me! If you’re not a drinker don’t run away yet! I fit into that category, although you probably wouldn’t guess it from the way I make brandy cream, but I’m generally not interested in anything even containing alcohol but this is that flavour combination - taste sensation thing everyone brags about. This mousse is also amazing on its own anyway; we’ve been making this for years and its probably the best mouse I’ve ever had. It’s lovely and rich and incredibly easy and quick to make, which seems to be a theme this month. It only contains 3 ingredients, it's low fat and its dairy free, yes dairy free, obviously minus the cream. I will be overjoyed the day I can walk into any supermarket and buy dairy free whipping cream alas no luck, but the cream isn’t essential although it is definitely worth it, if you’re not intolerant do not skip it. I finally got the tree up, and let’s just say it was the magical experience it was supposed to be. So it may have been 3am, I took a shower, put on clean pyjamas, which included ridiculously soft men’s stretchy plaid pyjama bottoms, urgh I could live in them, I made hot chocolate in my new Christmas mug put the Santa clause on and started decorating. Opening the box of decorations is like Christmas morning to me, the festive feeling contained in a box. I love everything I put on my tree but I manage to forget what I actually have and that’s just grounds for getting excited all over again. So my room is pretty festive now with a Christmas duvet, my bed covered in Christmas cushions and my tree up, although there are a couple of other things I still want to put up and make if I find the time. Did all this Christmas talk make you want mousse?

For the chocolate mousse
100g dark chocolate 70% or higher
4 egg whites
70g/⅓ cup caster sugar
Pinch of salt

For the bailey’s butterscotch sauce
25g/2 tbsp butter/margarine
35g/3 tbsp light muscavado sugar
1 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp Baileys

For the Baileys cream
150ml/⅔ cup double cream
1 tbsp Icing sugar
1 tbsp Baileys

To make the mousse melt the dark chocolate on low in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and set aside. Whisk the egg whites until they start to become foamy then add in the sugar and salt and continue to whisk until stiff. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly (it can still be warmer than room temperature just not hot) add to the egg whites and gently fold in the chocolate. Separate the mixture into four ramekins or dishes and place in the fridge to set. It should take 1-2 hours to set.

For the baileys butterscotch sauce place the butter/marg and sugar in a saucepan and melt. Add in the cream, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken, take off the heat and stir in the baileys, pour into a jug and set aside to cool.

Just before serving make the baileys cream, whip the cream until stiff, add in the baileys and icing sugar and whip again until everything’s incorporated. Add a dollop of cream on top of the mousse and pour the baileys butterscotch sauce over and enjoy!

Side note: any brand of Irish cream will work.