Chocolate Orange Mascarpone Mousse

In my last post for pizza di scarola, I mentioned the value of having sources for consistently delicious, no-fail recipes. Fellow home cooks and bakers know what I mean: in a world saturated with culinary content (TikTok! Instagram!) sometimes its hard to know where to look for recipes that go beyond just a pretty photo or catchy reel, and that truly work. A word of advice in this regard: make a Letitia Clark recipe, and you’ll never be disappointed.

In case you’re not familiar: Letitia is a writer/artist/chef/baker who moved from London to Sardinia in 2017 and, like any good foodie, promptly fell in love with the island’s cuisine. It’s a wonderful one, characterized by ingredients like pecorino sardo, saffron, and citrus, plus pork, seafood, and unique pasta shapes (FYI: the weirdest pastas come from Sardinia, as seen here and here and even here). Lucky for us, Letitia channeled her knowledge into the cookbook, Bitter Honey, where she shares both classic Sardinian recipes (like malloreddus alla campidanese) and a few others with her own twist (chicken with fennel, olives, and citrus — a favorite of mine). She’s also the author of La Vita è dolce, a compendium of Italian sweets with everything from cannoli to chiacchiere. Both cookbooks are true standouts in my extensive collection: they boast stellar, total gem recipes that are consistently delicious, all of which instantly end up in my regular rotation.

So! This mousse recipe from Letitia had been on my To Make list for far too long. With Valentine’s Day — frankly a celebration of all things Chocolate, no matter what flowers tell you — around the corner, I knew it would be just the thing to share. Letitia’s chocolate mousse has a clever Italian twist: rather than relying on egg whites or cream for lift and texture, it’s made with mascarpone, that rich, barely sweet cheese best known for its starring role in tiramisù. Here it joins forces with dark chocolate and eggs to make for a glossy, velvety, confection, one that is denser and more lavish than your average mousse. With only a few ingredients in the mix, the chocolate is allowed to shine in all its bittersweet splendor, complemented with a generous grating of sunny orange zest. A dollop of whipped cream cuts the bite of the dark chocolate nicely; extra zest and chocolate make it pretty, so much so that you’ll hesitate to take your first bite (all reservations will go out the window after aforementioned first bite, though — it’s that good). This is a dessert that exudes elegance and sophistication, but is still incredibly easy (a matter of melting chocolate and stirring ingredients together) and can be put together in minutes. Bottom line: there is no better way to show your significant other, friends, or family how much they mean to you on the 14th than with a cute little individual portion of this Chocolate Orange Mascarpone Mousse. Welcome to the Letitia Clark fan club.

P.S: Letitia’s next book, Wild Figs & Fennel, will be released in Spring 2024.

A couple of notes: In the original recipe, which you can find here, Letitia adds candied kumquats as a garnish — feel free to make these if you wish. This recipe, like most chocolate mousse recipes, uses raw eggs. Use pasteurized/fresh/good quality eggs, and youwill be fine. I doubled the orange zest in my recipe as a matter of personal taste, for a nice chocolate/orange punch.

Want more Letitia recipes? I also have these maritozzi and these chiacchiere on the blog. I also highly recommend her books, Bitter Honey and La Vita è dolce.
Looking for other no-bake, mousse, or pudding recipes? Click here.
Want to make homemade mascarpone? Click here.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE MASCARPONE MOUSSE

Recipe from Bitter Honey: Recipe and Stories from the Island of Sardinia by Letitia Clark.
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
300 grams (10.5 ounces) dark chocolate
2 eggs (see notes)
Zest of 2 oranges
500g (1 lb) mascarpone
60mLs (4 tablespoons) whole milk, plus more as needed

Whipped cream, orange zest, and extra chocolate for garnish

Directions:
Melt the chocolate over a bain marie until completely melted. If you’re me, you will skip the bain marie part and melt the chocolate over low heat on the stove in a small pan (I like to live on the edge). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the chocolate into a large bowl, and stir in the eggs until fully incorporated. It will start to look very thick and glossy.

Next, whisk in the orange zest and the mascarpone. It will become a lovely mousse-like consistency.

Depending on your mascarpone, this mixture may become very thick quite quickly after you whisk it all together. For a silkier, softer mousse, ittle gently whisk in the milk. I used a bit more than 4 tablespoons of milk given that my mascarpone was on the thicker side. Do as you see fit.

Serve in glasses immediately, with some whipped cream, grated chocolate, and orange zest served over the top.