Chrissy Teigen's Chocolate Mousse with Salty Rice Krispies-Hazelnut Crackle

 

Now that I can reliably find lactose-free vegan whipping cream, I am catching up on recipes I meant to try. Here’s one from Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings: Hungry for More, for an easy chocolate mousse with a more involved crackle topping. I’m going to be honest here: I had my doubts about the crackle. It looked a bit complicated, and I didn’t know if it would turn out to my liking, But I had a palmful of hazelnuts to use up, so I went for it. And it turns out it’s the best thing about this recipe! It was hard as opposed to sticky, and the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Seriously, do yourself a favor and double it, because you’ll end up eating some of it straight. This is a truly awesome dish!

For the mousse
1 cup (6 oz) good-quality dark chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate (I used bittersweet)
1/3 cup lactose-free whole milk
¾ cup lactose-free heavy cream, cold

For the crackle
oil, for the pan
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. water
4 tsp. light corn syrup
1/8 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
1/3 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

For serving
½ cup lactose-free heavy cream, cold
1 tablespoon granulated sugar


For the mousse
Combine the chocolate and milk in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Remove and stir the mixture until melted and smooth; set aside to cool for 15 minutes. (I prefer doing this in a double boiler.)

Once the chocolate is cooled, whip the cream with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate until uniform, making sure not to stir too hard or the mousse will deflate. Divide evenly among 4 smallish glasses, such as juice glasses or martini glasses. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24.

For the crackle
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly with oil. Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small (2-quart) saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it cook and bubble, swirling it occasionally, until the mixture turns toasty, the color of nice caramel, about 5 minutes from when it starts to bubble.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the baking soda and salt, then the rice cereal and hazelnuts. Working quickly (the stuff hardens), spread the mixture onto the parchment and sprinkle with more salt. Let it cool and harden, then break into pieces.

For serving
When ready to serve, whip the cream and the sugar to soft peaks with a whisk or electric mixer. Top each glass of mousse with some of the whipped cream and the broken crackle.