My Aunt Catherine's Chocolate Mousse

3 ingredients, 10 minutes, 1 unforgettable dessert.

Back when my husband and I still lived in Canada, our yearly trips to France were pure magic. We squeezed in as many market strolls, bakery runs and family feasts as humanly possible, trying to soak up every delicious second. And yet, no matter how long we stayed, those visits to my home country always felt far too short, leaving me clutching onto the memories like a kid hoarding the last piece of holiday chocolate.

One particular evening stands out - probably seven or eight years ago. We were having dinner at my Aunt Catherine’s place, just a 2 minute walk from where my parents live. Nothing fancy, just a cozy meal which included her signature pork roast with green beans. My cousin George had come down from Dinard for the weekend, so there was plenty of catching up and easy laughter around the table. Eventually, we started gathering our things, ready to stroll back to my parents’ house for the night, when my aunt suddenly stopped us in our tracks. "Wait! We haven’t had dessert yet!" she gasped, as if we'd committed a grave offense. And just like that, out comes the pièce de resistance - a gigantic bowl of rich, silky chocolate mousse. "Servez-vous!" she declared, and, well… who were we to argue? We passed the bowl around the table, each scooping ourselves generous portions.

To this day, it remains the best chocolate mousse my husband and I have ever eaten. Hands down, no contest. We scraped every last bit from our bowls and, of course, went back for seconds. If I remember correctly, my husband Marc had thirds.

Since that night, every chocolate mousse we’ve encountered has been measured against Aunt Catherine’s, and none have dethroned it. Was it the mousse itself? Rich yet impossibly airy, deeply chocolatey but never too sweet. Or was it the fact that it was served in one enormous communal bowl, ladled out with such generosity? There’s something extra comforting about a dessert that’s meant to be shared, don’t you think? Maybe it was the moment - the joy of being in France, on a trip I waited all year for, surrounded by familiar warmth. Probably a mix of all three. There’s a certain magic in how a meal—or the person who made it—can make food taste even better.

More French chocolate recipes to try…

• Double Chocolate Twice Baked Cookies (Croquants)

• French Chocolate Truffles

• Parisian Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)

• Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

• Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba)

• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake

• Homemade Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

• Classic French Chocolate Pots de Crème

And now onto the recipe…

Now that you know the story behind Aunt Catherine’s legendary chocolate mousse, here’s the recipe which I asked her to share.