Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse with Bananas

Remember when I said I've been jonesing for chocolate dessert? I finally caved. Big time. This just looked SO good that I had to try it immediately. This is the first time I've been able to use my Bon Appetit cookbook. It promises to offer recipes that are "a sophisticated twist on a beloved classic... that will be delicious the first time out." Well, mousse isn't brain surgery, but this was very easy. The only downside was that I had to buy nearly everything for the recipe. Seriously, the only things I had on hand were the water and rum. Considering that it used up nearly all of the ingredients, this was over a $15 recipe. Not too much considering, but still. It pains me, the pantry cook that I am.

Also, under the category of things I should know by now, I'm not that big a fan of mousse. Yes, it's delicious and perfect for a light dessert, but I'm from the South. We don't really do light desserts. This was insanely rich. Insanely. Rich. It was a rumball in a cup. Next time I would (lord, forgive me) cut back on the chocolate by maybe 3 ounces, cut out 1 cup of whipped cream, and add 4-8 ounces of cream cheese. I might also play around with espresso liquor in place of the rum (I just made tiramisu again, didn't I?). The richness of that would be easier to digest with a little more sweetness since the original recipe showcases balls to the wall chocolate. Now that I think about it, I did use all bittersweet chococlate- perhaps a semi-sweet mix. As an aside, has anyone seen the tiramisu flavored mascarpone? It's an interesting idea. The recipe was also a bit confusing, so these are the steps I followed.



Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse with Bananas
Bon Appetit

12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/3 c chilled whipping cream
1/3 c water
1/4 c dark corn syrup
5 T dark rum
8 oz mascarpone cheese
3 bananas

Stir chocolate, 1/3 cup cream, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over med-low heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Let cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally- about 20 mins. Whisk in rum, then mascarpone. Beat 1 cup whipping cream in a seperate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate. Whip the last cup of cream, fold in.

Peel and thinly slice 2 bananas and arrange in servings cups. Spoon mousse on top, cover with plastic wrap, and refigerate at least 4 hours. Garnish with last banana before serving.

Makes 8 servings