Sweet Potato Chocolate Mousse
A real chocolate mousse built on roasted sweet potato and lightened with folded whipped cream. Silky, deeply chocolatey, and made ahead.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Mousse
- 2 medium sweet potatoes about 1 lb, roasted whole
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
For Serving
- 2 tablespoon dark chocolate shaved
Instructions
Roast and Puree
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the whole sweet potatoes a few times and roast on a foil-lined sheet pan for 45 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
- Cool until you can handle them, then peel and add the flesh to a food processor with the cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
- Process for 60 to 90 seconds, scraping the sides twice, until completely smooth. For an extra silky base, push it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Chill the base in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, until cold to the touch.
Fold and Chill
- Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Stop when the peak flops over as you lift the beater.
- Stir a quarter of the whipped cream into the chilled chocolate base to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest until no white streaks remain.
- Spoon into 4 to 6 serving glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Top with shaved dark chocolate just before serving.
Notes
- Roast, don't boil: Roasting drives off water and concentrates the sugars, which is what keeps this from tasting vegetal.
- Everything cold: The chocolate base must be fully chilled before the whipped cream goes in, or the air collapses.
- Soft peaks only: Overwhipped cream folds in unevenly and makes the mousse grainy.
- Make-ahead: Keeps 4 days in the fridge, or freeze up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator.