Chocolate Mousse
Serves 8 six-oz servings

2 cups heavy cream (one cup chilled)
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons sugar, plus one teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz. American Heritage Chocolate, chopped

Procedure:

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently.

Heat 1 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until small bubbles form along the rim of the saucepan. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and salt in a metal bowl until combined well. Add one fourth cup hot cream in a slow stream, whisking, incorporate and then add remaining hot cream. Transfer mixture to back to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon [when drawing a finger across the spoon you can see a line]. Do not let boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nutmeg. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Beat remaining 1 cup cream and one teaspoon sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) dessert glasses and chill, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with berries, if desired.

(Author: Deanna Pucciarelli, Chef and Associate Researcher, Nutrition Department, UC Davis).