Julia Child's Iconic Chocolate Mousse Recipe Features One Boozy Ingredient

In the list of Julia Child's 100 favorite recipes revealed, chocolate mousse ranks pretty dang high. It's a light, airy, silky, dessert that chocolate lovers will fall head over heels for, and even people who aren't already in love with the stuff may just find that this treat hits the spot regardless. Julia Child adds in orange liqueur to put the whole thing over the top, too, giving a little punch of citrus-y, alcoholic brightness to an otherwise rich, decadent mousse (via The Julia Child Foundation). If you don't already understand the difference between chocolate pudding and mousse, Julia Child's recipe is a good way to learn those differences firsthand.

A typical chocolate mousse leaves out the orange, but orange and chocolate is a classic combination for good reason. The earthy, rich cacao and bright, vibrant citrus flavors go well together. When adding orange liqueur to the whipped egg whites and sugar mixture, you shouldn't be cooking it long enough for the alcohol to evaporate. You have to cook food for around 3 hours to completely eradicate all traces of alcohol in it, and you only need a few minutes to warm your mixture up. For that reason, Julia Child suggests that if you're serving children or people who don't drink alcohol, you can use strained orange juice in place of orange liqueur. It's the orange flavor that's crucial, after all, even if the alcoholic bite goes well with rich mousse, too.

A mousse should be airy, and Julia Child's rendition knocks that out of the park with the use of egg whites over whipping cream, which is lighter. Egg whites at room temperature will have maximum air incorporation and fluff up better. You also want to use superfine granulated sugar when beating your egg whites, which gives a smooth and shiny texture since the sugar dissolves much more smoothly than regular granulated sugar.

Last but certainly not least, you want to focus on the quality of the ingredients. Grabbing the best orange liqueur ensures good flavor. The chocolate, of course, is also of crucial importance. Go for a semi-sweet chocolate, either in bits or morsel form, or as baking chocolate squares (one of Julia Child's favorite chocolate brands is an under-the-radar classic). Darker chocolate results in a much more intensely chocolatey flavor in your mousse, which you can offset with the sugar, butter, and egg whites. Orange liqueur, while a fantastic marriage for milk chocolate, also offsets dark chocolate more vibrantly. Give it a try and experience the magic for yourself.