Orange and cinnamon infuses this thick, creamy Mexican chocolate mousse with just a kick of heat. A decadent mouthful to sip with a lovely after dinner port.
Silky & Cinnamon-y
A classic combination of orange, cinnamon and chocolate (with just a little kick of heat) rounded out our three-flavor dessert tray for our end of meal port tasting. I opted for an easy “cheat” using instant pudding mix due to the high amount of dishes I was creating.
Wine Pairing
Original Pairing: Whidbey Island Ruby Port & Kopke Tawny 10 Year Port General Pairing: Port, dessert wine, brandy, cream liquor Menu Overview
Specialty Ingredients
Instant Pudding MIx
I’m not ashamed to use some kitchen helpers here and there. Just a basic no-cook chocolate pudding mix works well for this Mexican chocolate mousse. Most mixes are also vegetarian and gluten-free (though not necessarily certified as such).
Equipment
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
You can do this with a hand mixer as well, it will just take a bit longer to get the right consistency.
Heavy sauce pan
A thick bottom sauce pan to allow you to heat and steep the cream evenly without scalding. Technically you could also do this in a microwave, carefully.
Planning the dish
You can make the base of the Mexican chocolate mousse a day in advance, but I would do the final whipping the day of your event. Keep it very chilled until you are ready to serve.
Timing the Elements
2+ days prior: make chocolate garnishes (optional). Or simple create some chocolate shavings. Store airtight, cool.
1 Day Prior: Steep cream mixture in spices. Make base mixture and refrigerate.
Early Day of: prep orange zest garnishes (optional if using fresh zest)
2+ hours to Serve: whip up base mixture and store in large piping bag in refrigerator.
30 min to Serve: make stabilized whipped cream (optional but recommended). Set up dishes.
20 min to Serve: Pipe mousse into dessert cups.
10 min to Serve: Pipe stabilized whipped cream into dessert cups. Start garnishing
Serve: Finalize garnishes (chocolate element, zest)
Plating Tips
We places the Mexican orange mousse in a 4 ounce cup on a long rectangular dessert plate. There were two other small desserts (Mocha Dipped Cookie and Toffee Truffle) and either side. I created a chocolate latter form with edible gold stars to stand up in the mousse and create some visual height to the overall presentation.
Can be a stand alone dessert in a lovely cup. Recommend keeping the portions small as it is a rich dessert. You could create a layer of just whipped cream on top if serving in a larger dish. This will add volume and cut some of the overall richness.
There are many ways you can garnish this dish. I like using elements in the dish as a garnish. This could include: chocolate shavings, orange zest, a pinch of cinnamon.
See Resources for plating supply ideas.
Pairing Alterations
Degree of Spice
I wouldn’t change the spice mixture per se, but you could dial it up or down between the orange, cinnamon and chilli flakes.
Nut Topping
Adding some toasted nuts on top could bring some additional pairing flavors. I would lean toward toasted almond slivers to provide a delicate crunch.
