Mousse-filled Edible Chocolate Cups

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They had edible chocolate bowls at my High School prom. I remember my mind being blown. It seemed so gourmet. So fancy. So... difficult to make

Go figure... it's not all that difficult. It takes about 15 minutes and a package of balloons! But don't tell your friends how easy it was ;-)

For this recipe, I filled the edible white chocolate cups with dark chocolate mousse. Don't let that box you in! Get creative with this one. Instead of mousse, here are some other fun options for filling: 

• berries (or cooled off balsamic honey berries, using this method)
• mint-flavored-whipped cream (use the whipped frosting recipe from this York Peppermint Patty Cupcake Recipe)
• banana ice cream
• pie filling
• whipped cream (and sliced strawberries, a la this post!)

Anyone else have some good ideas for filling consideration?!

Prep time: 15
Ingredients:

• 1 pack Almond Bark (white) or White Chocolate
• 1 pack Balloons
• 1 box Jello Chocolate Mousse Mix
• 1 cup Skim Milk

'Cooking' Directions:

1. Blow up small balloons and set aside.
2. Heat almond bark or white chocolate in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir, then continue to heat in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate seems almost melted. Take it out and stir until it is smooth.
3. Carefully, dip balloons in chocolate and slowly move around to get a clean line of chocolate. Remove and set on a sheet of parchment paper. Continue until chocolate has been used up.
4. Set chocolate covered balloons aside.
5. Combine chocolate mousse mix with 1 cup of skim milk and mix, using an electric mixer, on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 4 minutes.
6. Set mousse in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.
7. Using a fork or toothpick, pop the balloons. This is the fun part, people! Stab those things! Most of the balloons will lift right out after being popped, but some need a bit more finesse. Be gentle with them!
8. Spoon or pipe chocolate mousse into edible chocolate cups.

Chocolate, Chocolate Cake! Oh My Gosh! Let's Bake A Cake!

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Give me a reason and I'll bake you a cake. Seriously. I'm always looking for reasons to bake a cake.  One summer, when my friends and I were sitting outside on a summer night around midnight, my friend Jimmy said, "Man, I really wish we could have cake right now!"  Well, guess what, ladies and gentleman? I baked the man a freaking cake.

Guess what this post is about?  Have you guessed it yet?  5 points if you guessed "CAKE!" Such a smartypants.

The Story:
On Fathers Day, my father was in Boston, getting my little sister oriented for her college career.  So, naturally, there was a cake waiting for him upon his return...

Along with these cards on his bedroom door (I took this before we'd even finished, so there are a few missing).  Yes, let's just say that I tried to make some of them look the way my handmade cards looked when I was 5.  Quit judging, already!

Anyways, back to the whole cake thing... When it comes to baking, the challenge with my dad is that he doesn't like food that tastes healthy.  This isn't necessarily because he is anti-health (is anyone?), but more so due to the fact that he doesn't want to get slighted in the taste department just to score well in the health department.  Since it was his cake, I had to oblige his taste buds.  

The man likes chocolate.  The man likes fruit.  Hmm.  Do the noodle dance.  

Eureka!  Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse frosting and strawberries.  

What you need for the cake:

• 1 box of Sugar Free cake mix (or regular, your calories not mine!)
• 1 can La Croix

How to bake the cake:

1. Start with the cake mix and 1 can of La Croix.  Mix with an electric beater. (Can substitute 2 bananas & 1/2 cup water... Or you can follow the box directions and use eggs/milk/oil etc)
2. Pour into a pan (whatever size cake you're going for) and bake according to box directions.  Check the cake with a toothpick on the earlier side of the timeframe the box provides (Ya know how boxes always say "35-42 minutes" or something like that?  Go with the 35).  Take it out when the toothpick comes out dry. :)
3. Let the cake cool while you make the "frosting" aka mousse

What you need for the frosting:

• 1 box of Jello's Chocolate Mousse
• 1 cup of Skim Milk
• (Optional Strawberries)

How to make the frosting:

1. Mix "Mousse"  mix with Skim Milk using an electric mixer.
2. Pour into one large bowl (or just refrigerate your mixing bowl for less cleanup).
3. Refrigerate
4. Once the cake is fully cooled, spoon the "Mousse" on top and smooth out
5. Add sliced strawberries.

Why did I use Chocolate Mousse instead of real "frosting?"

The short answer:  It's healthier and saves a whole lot of calories.  I hate when I make a healthy cake only to ruin it by smothering it in icing.

The real answer:  Frosting is jam packed with sugar, fat, and calories (and, even for those who aren't trying to be 'calorically' healthy, the sugar rush and eventual crash are just not good for your system). Mousse has a similar consistency to a fluffy frosting but has so much less crap in it (excuse my French). 

 

A jar of frosting has around of 1400 calories in it... but, by making mousse (which actually gives you more volume to work with, anyways, so your frosting on the cake is thicker), you're working with about 430 calories (if you use Skim milk -- 2% would only bump that up to 480).  To put it in perspective, you're saving ~1000 calories in the cake by switching to chocolate mousse.

Okay, that's all folks!  See you later with some pics from a Chicago adventure!