[this post is in partnership with Harry and David. I created recipes using their tiramisu whole bean coffee this season and I’m excited to share them with you.]
It felt like I’d gone to chocolate-coffee heaven.
Long before I appreciated the taste of plain coffee, I loved visiting coffee shops just to smell whole beans. As a child I was fascinated by the dessert-like aromas: Irish cream, mudslide, vanilla — the scents promised cake in a cup. My parents always bought whole beans and ground them each week, and I would beg for flavored options. They rarely gave in, but my grandmother sometimes brought small flavored espresso packets after special dinners. I’d drown a tiny cup in cream and sugar, take a sip and be disappointed it didn’t taste exactly like dessert.
When I had the chance to choose a whole bean flavor from Harry and David, tiramisu was an obvious pick. I’d just developed a tiramisu-inspired recipe for my cookbook and couldn’t resist. I inhaled the beans for a full five minutes before grinding them — the aroma was intoxicating.
Brewing it in a French press made it even better. There’s something about press coffee that feels decadent and satisfying. And since I was partnering with Harry and David to create a recipe, I didn’t want to stop at a cup. The perfect use for this tiramisu coffee was a chocolate mousse — light, airy, intensely flavored, and dangerously easy to love.
I whipped this mousse a bit more than my usual milk chocolate mousse, and the result was practically a cloud. The texture is lighter and fluffier than traditional mousse while retaining a rich chocolate coffee flavor. Because it’s whipped, it feels almost delicate on the palate — yet it’s decadent enough that a small serving is totally satisfying.
Could we call this a light dessert? Let’s agree that a few spoonfuls definitely qualify.
This mousse combines high-quality milk chocolate, a touch of butter, and freshly brewed tiramisu coffee folded into whipped cream and a cooked egg-yolk custard for stability and silkiness. Chilled for a few hours, it sets into a velvety dessert finished with extra whipped cream, a dusting of unsweetened cocoa, and a coffee bean for garnish.
Tiramisu Coffee Chocolate Mousse
Yield:
6
Ingredients
- 8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons freshly brewed Harry and David Tiramisu Coffee
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly brewed Harry and David Tiramisu Coffee (additional)
- Extra whipped cream for topping
- Unsweetened cocoa for sprinkling
- Coffee beans for garnish
Instructions
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Combine the chopped chocolate, 2 tablespoons brewed coffee and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium for 30 seconds, stir, then heat 30 seconds more. Stir until fully melted and smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cold heavy cream until firm peaks form to make whipped cream. A slightly thicker consistency works best for folding into the chocolate.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and 2 tablespoons brewed coffee. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, becomes opaque and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water and whisk until cooled.
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Fold the whipped cream gently into the cooled chocolate custard until fully combined. Divide the mousse into serving glasses (this yields six small servings or fewer if larger portions are preferred). Refrigerate for about 4 hours to set. Before serving, top with extra whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder and a coffee bean for garnish.
Dessert
American
This mousse is absolutely worth breaking the rules for — rich, airy, and deeply flavored with tiramisu coffee. A few spoonfuls are all you need to feel indulgent and satisfied.