Mexican Chocolate Mousse With Ancho and Orange

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – About Decadent Desserts and Special Occasions

My husband rarely gets dessert… poor, deprived soul.  😉 We enjoy a square of dark chocolate most nights, but we tend to limit sugar. Valentine’s Day is the exception. A special chocolate dessert seems called for on this day that celebrates love. This year was our 37th Valentine’s Day!

This spicy chocolate mousse is super creamy and light, but packs some bold flavors! It is a perfect finale to our Mexican-inspired Valentine’s Day meal. I have a confession to make: We ate it first. Oops!

I shot the photos, and was prepared to put the mousse back in the refrigerator. Mark sheepishly said, “Can’t we have them now?”  😆 Of course I obliged! I wonder what our mothers would think?

Our Mexican-inspired menu included my Oysters With Bacon, Blood Orange, and Jalapeño Mignonette, Grilled Sea Bass With Avocado Crema and Mango Salsa , sliced heirloom tomatoes with cilantro and citrus vinaigrette, and finished with Mexican Chocolate Mousse With Ancho and Orange. Mmmm! It was a memorable meal, and one that we will repeat!

If you adore Mexican flavors (like I do), and you’re looking for Mexican-inspired decadent treats, you’ll want to check out this Mexican chocolate ice cream, and these dulce de leche cupcakes. Whoa! Make sure it’s when you’re not counting calories.

🍫 About Mexican Chocolate

Have you ever had a cup of Mexican hot chocolate? Abuelita by Nestle is the brand that is probably most familiar in the U.S. Cinnamon is the most common spice added in to the chocolate, but you may find a variety of spices including nutmeg and allspice.

It may also include nuts and/or red chile. The chocolate contains sugar, so no additional sweetener is necessary. For hot chocolate simply melt the chocolate into milk, being careful to not boil it.

This recipe starts with a 7 ounce bar of good Mexican chocolate. I used a bar of La India Brand Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate found at my local market. They also carried Abuelita by Nestle, but the flavors are a bit more complex in the La India Brand bar, though it is a bit more expensive. The texture is a bit grainier than typically found in a chocolate bar. That disappears in the mousse.

📋 Mexican Mousse Ingredients

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• Mexican chocolate – Mexican chocolate always contains cinnamon. It may contain other spices like nutmeg and allspice, nuts, and other ingredients. You can use a dark (semi-sweet) chocolate bar and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a bit of almond extract.
• milk – You can use dairy or non-dairy milk.
• ancho chile powder – You can substitute chipotle or New Mexico red chile powder. DO NOT USE GENERIC CHILE POWDER! It’s a spice blend and contains other ingredients (like cumin and salt).
• orange liqueur – I keep triple sec on hand for both cocktails and cooking. My husband and I enjoy making our own liqueurs and syrups, and we love this triple sec recipe. Any orange liqueur is a good substitute.
• whipping cream – I hope you’ll make your own!
• orange – The zest and orange slice are optional to garnish.
• cinnamon or ancho chile powder – A dusting of cinnamon or ancho chile powder is pretty, but optional!

🔪 Instructions

1. Prepare the chocolate – Heat the milk and salt with the chocolate over very low heat until it is completely melted and incorporated. I heat my saucepan over medium high heat, add the milk and chocolate, and reduce to low. Stir frequently until combined. Add the ancho, orange zest from ½ of the orange, and triple sec. Stir well, and cool the mixture completely. If the chocolate mixture is warm, it will deflate the whipped cream.
2. Make the mousse – Whip the cream until quite firm (medium peaks) but not stiff. Set aside enough for a dollop on each (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup).Gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Be careful to not overmix. Chill until ready to serve. 
3. Serve – Divide mousse among desired number of servings. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with ancho powder and orange zest, and garnish with a slice of orange. (I used the orange I zested).
4. Enjoy!

Chill until ready to serve. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with ancho powder and orange zest, and garnish with a slice of orange. My photos feature the beautiful blood orange (currently in season in the Rio Grande Valley), but you can use any orange.

💭 Tips

The key to getting a fluffy but firm Mexican chocolate mousse lies in the the consistency of the whipped cream and the temperature of the chocolate. If the chocolate is warm, it will deflate the aerator (whipped cream). Make sure it is completely cool.

Bring the whipped cream to medium peaks. The chocolate naturally provides structure as it cools, so you don’t want to over-whip them.

Fold the chocolate mixture gently into the whipped cream, and avoid over-mixing.

❓ FAQ

We had the remaining mousse the following night, and the bold flavors had really developed. We may have liked it even more! As you can see from the photos, this is an elegant dessert, and really simple to make. Be sure to “pin” it for your next special occasion!

P.S. Yes my husband had the gorgeous flowers delivered!

🧂 Useful Stuff

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊

• Mexican Chocolate
• Ancho Chile Powder
• Hand Mixer
• Martini Glasses