Egg-Free Easy Choc Mousse

Much is made of the 'dangers' of eating desserts made with raw eggs but, as recent news reports have revealed, you can find 'nasties' lurking in anything from a simple tub of tahini, to an innocent bowl of cornflakes. The truth is that it's always best to err on the side of caution, especially in the current hot 'n humid weather, and this almost instant chocolate mousse adds 'complete peace of mind' to its many attributes. Instead of using uncooked eggs to achieve its mousse-like consistency, this decadently delicious dessert is made with melted marshmallows yet is not over-sweet, and can be easily adapted to include mint, mocha or orange flavors. It sets in a fraction of the time of a regular chocolate mousse, and can be served straight up, or in cookie crumb base to make a Chocolate Mousse Tart. Go on....make it an egg-cellent, egg-free mousse moment.

250 grams dark chocolate (minimum 60% is best) 80 ml boiling water 50 grams butter/margarine 150 grams mini marshmallows* 300 ml cream/non-dairy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla OR other flavoring Generous pinch of salt (Maldon certainly best) 1: Heat the water and butter/margarine in a heavy-based pot till melted, then stir in the chopped chocolate and marshmallows and stir over low heat till chocolate and marshmallows are melted. 2: Set aside chocolate to cool slightly while you beat the cream/non-dairy cream and vanilla together till well whipped and doubled in volume. 3: Add salt to the chocolate - optional but recommended - and then fold the cream in till fully incorporated. 3: Spoon the mousse into individual glasses - see notes - and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before serving on its own, with a dusting of Maldon salt, chopped nuts, grated chocolate, berry coulis, or swirl of cream. * You could use regular marshmallows instead but chop these first so that they melt before the chocolate burns. I am also virtually sure you could replace marshmallows with 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff though haven't yet tried this. Report back if you do! FLAVOR ADAPTATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE SERVING IDEAS - Add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee to the water and allow to dissolve before adding chocolate and marshmallows for a mocha flavor. - Add a few drops of peppermint essence to the melted chocolate and serve topped with chopped up After Eight or Paskez parve mint rounds. - Stir zest of an orange into melted chocolate and serve with poached orange rounds. - Recipe makes 8 to 12 small glasses of mousse - it's rich so you don't need a lot - but you could also serve this in a chocolate cookie crust to make a chocolate mousse tart, spooned over sponge biscuits dipped in coffee to make an improvised tiramisu, or served on top of a chocolate cake and topped with chocolate ganache to make a chocolate mousse cake .