Chocolate mousse

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), chopped
• 3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy (or swap with a liqueur of your choice)
• 1 cup very cold heavy or whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Get out one large heatproof, two medium and one small mixing bowl and dust off your electric hand mixer.
2. Set the large bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter in it, gently stirring it until smooth. Remove from heat. Alternately, you can melt them in your microwave, stirring thoroughly at 30 seconds and every 15 seconds thereafter until the mixture is smooth.
3. In the small bowl, beat yolks with your electric mixer until thick enough to form a ribbon that takes a few seconds to dissolve — this will take about two to four minutes to achieve. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture along with Cognac, then cool to warm.
4. In one of the medium bowls, beat the cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.
5. In the other medium bowl, beat the egg whites and salt with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks.
6. Fold the whipped cream and beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Transfer to 8 (4 ounce) ramekins or one large serving bowl, or go restaurant-style, serving it in stemmed glasses with white or dark chocolate shavings on top.