Description
Indulge in the elegant and luscious Chocolate Mascarpone Dome, featuring a rich chocolate mousse and creamy mascarpone mousse encased in a smooth, glossy mirror glaze atop a crunchy cookie base. This dessert combines layers of texture and flavor perfect for special occasions or an impressive treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chocolate Mousse:
- 200g dark chocolate (60–70%)
- 300ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional, depending on your chocolate)
For the Mascarpone Mousse:
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 150ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Base:
- 150g digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 60g unsalted butter, melted
For the Mirror Glaze:
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100g sugar
- 100g glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
- 60ml water
- 60ml heavy cream
- 8g powdered gelatin
- 40ml cold water (to bloom gelatin)
Instructions
- Make the Chocolate Mousse: Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Allow it to cool slightly. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, then fold in the vanilla extract and sugar if using. Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate to lighten the mixture. Fold in the remaining cream until smooth and combined. Transfer the mousse to a piping bag and refrigerate.
- Prepare the Mascarpone Mousse: Whisk mascarpone cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it gently into the mascarpone mixture until fully combined. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Assemble the Layers in Dome Molds: Use silicone half-sphere molds. Pipe chocolate mousse to fill halfway, tap molds to remove air bubbles, then pipe a smaller amount of mascarpone mousse in the center. Fill the rest of the mold with chocolate mousse and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.
- Make the Cookie Base: Crush digestive biscuits or graham crackers into fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with melted butter until evenly moistened. Press into a lined baking sheet to form a ½ inch thick layer. Chill until firm, then cut six rounds matching dome mold diameter. Keep refrigerated.
- Prepare the Mirror Glaze: Bloom gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes. In a saucepan, combine sugar, glucose syrup, water, and heavy cream; heat until just boiling. Remove from heat, add chopped dark chocolate and stir until melted. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Cool glaze to 32–35°C before use for best consistency.
- Glaze the Domes: Once frozen, unmold domes and place on wire rack over a tray. Pour mirror glaze evenly to cover each dome completely. Allow excess glaze to drip off and set for a few minutes. Carefully place each glazed dome onto a prepared cookie base using a spatula. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- Ensure the mirror glaze is at body temperature (32–35°C) before pouring to achieve a smooth, shiny finish.
- Freeze the domes completely before glazing to prevent melting and to allow the glaze to set properly.
- You can substitute digestive biscuits with graham crackers for the base as preferred.
- Adjust sugar in the chocolate mousse depending on the sweetness of your chocolate to balance flavors.
- Use silicone molds for easy unmolding of delicate mousse domes.
- This dessert can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
