MY KINGDOM FOR A MOOSE.

There is a new addition to our household this week, the alternately named kitty, puss and occasionally Twinkle. Unfortunately, she is a little camera (and people) shy so a portrait will have to wait, though she has deigned to sit on my lap while I'm writing this. There is always going to be a transitional period introducing a new pet into a house, although this has been aggravated slightly because she is an adult rescue cat who has moved twice in as many weeks and doesn't seem to be in the mood for bonding. She has also, delightfully, decided to follow her feline nature by sleeping all day and prowling around at night. Sleep is my Mecca at the best of times but over these last few days it has become something of a Holy Grail! Nevertheless I am optimistic that she will settle in, just as long as the neighbours don't join in on the midnight yowling.

Getting back to the matter at hand, that being chocolate, I found myself in the unhappy circumstances of having to use up some leftover cream and, needing a chocolate fix I decided to whip up (sorry) these chocolate moose (again, sorry). Simple in the extreme their success lies in you doing as little work as possible with the ingredients, of which there are only two (well three if you count the water), but the chocolates must be the best; Green & Black's, Valrhona and Lindt are all contenders. I don't often cook with milk chocolate, it is often considered inferior to its deep, dark sibling but it seems to be able to hold it's own here giving a silky smoothness where you would expect airiness. White chocolate is a bit of a misnomer because it does not contain any cocoa solids so is not technically chocolate (in America FDA guidelines result in it being called "white confectionery coating) and, the good ones at least, are off-white or even yellow in colour.

This recipe is adapted from one of my favourite chocolate cookbooks (yes every recipe contains chocolate), Bittersweet  by Alice Medrich. In America her name has become synonymous with chocolate and she has spent decades exploring the use of chocolate in cooking and successfully breaking a few cardinal rules along the way. I would think these are fancy enough to impress for a posh dinner and they are also well suited to those who are wary of eating desserts which contain raw eggs. There are adaptations of course, replace the water with espresso in the milk chocolate mousse, infuse the cream for the white chocolate mousse with mint overnight or simply break into the liquor cabinet. Just make sure the quantity of liquid remains the same. The infinitely cute cups I used ( I used them just so that I could say that I got them in Paris) hold about 50mls but a slightly bigger cup would make for a generous serving. I solve the problem of which one to choose by not choosing; 2 cups of mousse + 1 spoon = happy me.

WHITE & MILK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• 85g good quality white chocolate
• 85g good quality milk chocolate
• 4 tbls water
• 240ml of double cream

1. Place the milk chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Do the same with the white chocolate using the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Melt the chocolates separately on Low power in the microwave in short bursts stirring until completely melted and smooth. Take care with the white chocolate especially, as it burns easily. Alternatively, place the bowls over a saucepan of simmering water making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Again stir until smooth.
2. Let the chocolate cool slightly (dip your finger in and dab some on your upper lip, it should feel cool but not cold). If the chocolate is too cold the mousse may be grainy instead of silky. Meanwhile, whip 120ml of the cream in a medium bowl only until thickened and barely beginning to hold a shape. No peaks! Scrape the cream into the bowl of milk chocolate with a spatula and fold carefully but quickly just until the two are incorporated. The mousse should seem very soft; it will firm up later. Immediately divide it between the cups or pour into a single serving bowl. Whip up the remaining 120ml of cream (in the same bowl is fine), again only until barely beginning to hold a shape, and follow as above with the white chocolate. If you would like a layered version make the milk chocolate mousse first, chill until set then make the white chocolate mousse and pour it gently on top, then chill again until both layers are set.
3. Cover and chill until set, at least an hour; more if it is in a single serving dish. It would be preferable to make them the day before serving. Eating something delicious when the memory of making it has faded is one of my favourite things.

Makes 6 (in my cups) 3 of each chocolate (with a little left over to spare).