Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Mousse

This fluffy Irish cream dark chocolate mousse is topped with an Irish whiskey whipped cream and salty hard pretzels for a tasty St. Patrick’s Day-inspired treat.

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St. Patrick’s Day is one week from today! Which oddly enough means it has almost been 2 years since we locked down due to COVID-19 – at least here in Columbus, OH. When we went home after work on Monday, March 16th, 2020 we were told not to come back the next day, St. Patrick’s Day. And we all know what happened after that.

All of that aside, here we are 2 years later trying to navigate this world and continue with our lives in whatever way we feel comfortable doing so. While hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party isn’t high on that list for me, that didn’t stop me from making some new St. Patrick’s Day inspired recipes!

These little Irish cream dark chocolate mousse cups remind me of the Irish cream pie I made last year, which had a fluffy Irish cream chocolate filling and a salty crunchy pretzel crust. In retrospect I think these could have also benefitted from a drizzle of that same whiskey caramel I topped the pie with, but instead I added a little whiskey to the whipped cream this time around.

Honestly, I ended up using the mousse like a dip for the leftover whole hard pretzels and I wasn’t mad about it one bit. Pretty sure I actually have a recipe saved somewhere for a Irish cream dip of sorts… one of these days I will find it and share it on the blog! In the meantime, if you need more St. Patrick’s Day-inspired recipes, you can find my entire collection HERE.

Seven years ago: Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

Eight years ago: Spinach Pizza Dough

Eleven years ago: Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

IRISH CREAM DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSE

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 15 MInutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur, room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar, divided
• 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp Irish whiskey (optional)
• 2 large hard sourdough pretzels, crushed

Directions

1. In a small chilled bowl, beat 1/2 cup cream until it forms stiff peaks; cover and chill.
2. In a glass bowl over a saucepan with gently simmer water, combine egg yolks, Irish cream, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is lighter in color and almost doubled in volume (or an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F).
3. Remove bowl, add chocolate, and whisk until melted and smooth. Let sit, whisking occasionally, until it reaches room temperature.
4. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1 tablespoon sugar, increase speed to high, and beat until it forms stiff peaks.
5. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture in 2 batches, followed by the whipped cream just until blended. Divide mousse among 6 ramekins and chill until firm, at least 2 hours (or overnight to prepare ahead).
6. Just before serving, in a small chilled bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream with remaining 1 tsp sugar and whiskey (if using) until it forms soft peaks. Top each cup of mousse with a dollop of whipped cream and crushed pretzels.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit.

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