chocolate and vanilla bean mousse... simple and sweet

hey there everyone :) hows your weekend going so far... it's a bit gloomy here, so to brighten up our afternoon i whipped up a sweet treat for me and my two little men... some light and airy mousse... and since Ben is a chocolate fan, and jack a vanilla guy i made a little of both, i have to keep my men happy you know :)

i love mousse by the way... i love that i don't feel like such a moo after licking the bowl clean...
chocolate mousse (adapted from julia child via david lebovitz)
ingredients:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup dark-brewed coffee
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:
1. heat a saucepan one-third full with hot water, and in a bowl set on top, melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring over the barely simmering water, until smooth,remove from heat
2. fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside
3. in a bowl large enough to nest securely on the saucepan of simmering water, whisk the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, rum, and water for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, like runny mayonnaise, (you can also use a handheld electric mixer)
3. remove from heat and place the bowl of whipped egg yolks within the bowl of ice water and beat until cool and thick, as shown in the photo above, then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks
4. in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape... whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla
5. fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated, but don’t overdo it or the mousse will lose volume
6. transfer the mousse to a serving bowl or divide into serving dishes, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm

vanilla mousse:
ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean split
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of sugar

directions:
1. separate the egg yolk and whites... whisk the egg yolks, sugar & the melted butter, then add vanilla extract, or vanilla bean, and combine thoroughly
2. whisk the heavy whipping cream and 2 tbsp of the sugar till soft peaks form, set aside
3. in a clean grease free bowl, whip the egg whites and the remaining sugar until medium soft peaks form, put aside
4. now gently fold the whipped cream to the egg mixture
5. finally, fold the beaten egg whites to the above mixture, pour into serving dishes and refrigerate until ready

here's jack demolishing his... this kid is a beast when it comes to desserts :)
happy baking everyone :)