Chocolate Mousse or Souffle

Recipe from Cuisinart and Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 8-10

Here's an impressive delectable dessert for all of the chocolate fans out there. It's very easy to make in the food processor and can be made ahead for a dinner party. It's intensely rich and would be perfect to make for your valentine! My valentine, Jim, loves to lick the spatula. You can even freeze this for up to 2 months. You can buy fair trade coffee & chocolate plus local eggs for this recipe at the Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients:
6 oz. unsweetened chocoate, broken into pieces
1 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup water
6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/4 cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons strong coffee (or 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tablespoons of hot water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Put the metal blade in the food processor. Add the chocolate pieces. Pulse a few times, then run continuously until chocolate is finely chopped, about 1 minute.
• In a saucepan, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in the 1/3 cup water and bring to a rolling boil. With the food processor running, pour the boiling syrup slowly through the feed tube and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. The chocolate will melt. Leave it in the food processor bowl.
• With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until firm. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating utnil stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Add egg yolks, coffee and vanilla to cooled chocolate mixture in the food processor. Pulse once. Scrape down side of the bowl. Add 1/4 of the beaten egg whites and pulse until they disappear.
• Add the remaining egg whites. Pulse only until the chocoate mixture starts to cover the egg whites. Do not over process! (If clumps of egg white remain, gently fold them in with a spatula. It does not matter if the mixture has streaks of egg white.)

If serving mousse:

• Spoon mixture into 8-10 individual serving dishes or in a 1 1/2 quart serving dish. Refrigerate several hours until firm.
• Serve with sweetened whipping cream.

If serving souffle:

• Preheat oven to 425 F degrees.
• Spoon mixture into individual 6 ounce custard cups/souffle dishes until each is 2/3 full.
• Bake 12-15 minutes or until well puffed.
• Serve immediately.

To freeze:
This mousse/souffle can be frozen for up to 2 months in an air tight sealed plastic bag. Allow to thaw before unwrapping and serving or baking.