white chocolate reconciliation

Having almost lost any love for white chocolate in sensational fashion -a mid-week baking debacle aka The Exorcist Cake- I then received a recipe for this Ricotta and White Choc Mousse from a very secret source. This was fate knocking on my in-box. It was obviously time to jump back on the white chocolate horse.

In light of said disaster, you might imagine I would follow the recipe to the very last letter. But typically, my pantry had other ideas. I heard voices begging me to tempt fate. Hazelnuts were urging me to strike before the use-by date did. When has expensive liqueur ever survived a week in our apartment (hello Sherry)?

Obviously this dessert is just brilliant because not only did my minor pantry tweeking go unnoticed but my last white chocolate effort was completely forgotten, we were in choccy heaven. Here is the recipe.


Mousse di Ricotta e Cioccolata Bianca
(adapted from Sydney caterer Johanna Minogue)
serves 4
250g fresh ricotta, placed in a sieve over a bowl and left in the fridge for 2 hours to drain
25g caster sugar
1/4 cup pouring cream
50g Belgian white chocolate, finely chopped
50g blanched whole almonds, roasted and finely chopped

for the syrup:
rind of 1 orange, julienned
juice of 1 orange (ca. 1/4 cup)
55g caster sugar
1tsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)


Place orange rind in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Combine 55g sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the orange rind and liqueur and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove rind with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour the orange juice into the pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool (will thicken on cooling).
Meanwhile, combine the drained ricotta and 25g sugar in a bowl, then stir in the cream, almonds and chocolate and combine well. Place a 3cm deep, 6.5 cm round metal ring in the centre of a plate, fill with mousse, remove ring and repeat with remaining plates. Spoon orange syrup around each mousse and garnish with a little reserved rind. Serve immediately