I’m just gonna say it. Don’t judge me, but I do not like Halloween. Actually, it might be my least favorite holiday. Wait, is Halloween even a holiday? In my defense, I scare really easily (ask Leili) and I have zero enthusiasm for dressing up in a costume. My idea of dressing up is wearing dark colors and making up my face. This lifestyle is encouraged by my sweatpants and YouTube makeup videos.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invite me to your Halloween party, because you should. Just don’t expect too much out of me. Last year, I wore my running clothes and pinned some math signs to my shirt. You guessed it, I was a ‘mathlete.’ I aim to please my fellow Halloween party goers and be in comfortable clothes. If you generously select me as a guest to your gathering, I promise I won’t wear anything scary, as long as no one at your party tries to scare me either. Deal?
To show you my gratitude, I’ll even prepare some spooky chocolate mousse. It’s made with goblin bits. Just kidding, it’s matcha but no one has to be honest on Halloween. I mean, we’re all already lying about our identities, right?
To start off, this matcha chocolate mousse is amazing – the mousse is lightly flavored with matcha and the whipped cream is intensified with this green stuff. It’s incredibly easy to make and will please all your finely dressed guests. This treat is also packed with antioxidants from the dark chocolate and matcha powder so you can tell your friends, and yourself, that this is good for your body.
And now for my Halloween costume…
Matcha Chocolate Mousse
Adapted from Food Wishes
by W.
Makes 4
Mousse
3.5 oz. dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa)
½ cup cold heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon matcha powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons water, divided into 2
Matcha Whipped Cream
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon matcha
Using a double boiler method, heat a small/medium sauce pan with about an inch of water to start. Once it’s simmering, place a heatproof bowl over hot pan and place chocolate, butter, and 2 tablespoons water in. Let the butter melt and start whisking until smooth and homegenous. Add salt and set aside to cool.
In another heatproof bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Put bowl over hot pan again and start whisking until foamy. The thermometer should read 160F and be warm to the touch. Pour the foamy egg mixture into the melted chocolate and whisk once more until combined. Let this cool to room temperature.
Tip: if you want the matcha to be fully mixed in with the chocolate, add the powder before whisking egg and chocolate together. I added my matcha after whisking so that the green bits would still show when serving (read: goblin bits).
Using cold heavy cream and preferrably a cold bowl, start whipping the cream. Whisk until stiff peaks form – try not to over whip or the mousse will lose its decadent texture. Before this next step, make sure the chocolate mixture is absolutely cool to the touch or it’ll fail. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate custard. Once the first half is incorporated, fold in the rest of the whipped cream. You don’t have to be perfect here – it can have white streaks hanging around. It’ll still be delicious.
Portion the mousse into 4 ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Let them chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours. Before eating, quickly whisk the matcha whipped cream together. Serve it on top of the mousse and dust with extra matcha if desired.
