Skinny Chocolate Peppermint Mousse made with Greek yogurt! @dessertfortwo

Have we recovered from Thanksgiving sufficiently? I gave you an extra day yesterday just in case you were doing one of those kale-quinoa juice-fast things. I can’t talk to you when you do things like that. BUT today is grand because we’re in the depths of December (by two whole days!), and so we’re celebrating with a rich chocolate mousse! I tipped a little peppermint extract in the bowl, and pounded a candy cane to bits for the top. It’s fun!

Why am I calling this dessert skinny? Well, I cut the heavy cream by using Greek yogurt. It’s just as creamy, and the tangy flavor goes great with peppermint. This mousse is a satisfying dessert, but not so rich that you can resist eating both servings. <—That’s your only warning.

Skinny Chocolate Mousse with Peppermint @dessertfortwo

As you know, it’s the holidays. In the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, let’s pause and think about those who don’t have such a great holiday ahead of them. Food banks have always been my number one method of charitable giving because I love feeding people. The thought of people going without food wrecks me. I’ve been working with the American Dairy Association all year long to promote the nutritional benefits of dairy products, like milk, yogurt and cheese. But did you know that milk is the number one request for food banks? and they rarely receive it? I know that my food bank donations are almost always dry goods. But this year, the ADA is teaming up with Feeding America for a Great American Milk Drive. Do you want to help? It’s so easy!

If you go to ADA’s Facebook page and like, comment or share my post, $1 is instantly donated to the cause! Doesn’t that feel good? One click, one dollar. We can do this!

It would really melt my heart if we all brought thousands of gallons of milk to those in need.

It would also melt my heart if you made this skinny chocolate mousse and enjoyed it with your sweetie.

Skinny Chocolate Mousse recipe @dessertfortwo

Yield: 2

Chocolate Peppermint Mousse {skinny}

Chocolate Peppermint Mousse {skinny}
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3.5 ounces (1/2 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the topping:

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • crushed candy canes, optional

Instructions

  2. In a microwave-safe glass cup, add the chocolate and butter. Microwave on medium strength for 30 seconds pulses, stirring in between each pulse to melt the chocolate. Go slowly so you don't burn the chocolate. It took me 3 pulses total. Set the chocolate aside to cool slightly.
  3. Meanwhile, in a glass or metal bowl that fits over a pan of steaming water, add the egg yolk. Whisk for about 1 minute to break it up and lighten it. It should start to turn light yellow.
  4. Continue whisking the egg yolk while slowly streaming in the sugar. When all of the sugar is in, whisk for another 1 minute vigorously to lighten and aerate the mixer.
  5. Next, whisk in the water and espresso powder.
  6. Place this mixture over the simmer water, and whisk constantly until it thickens. It should look like softly whipped cream that does not hold peaks. It will also coat the back of a spoon nicely.
  7. Remove from the heat, and stir in the peppermint extract. Then, stir in the melted chocolate in about 3 batches. Finally, stir in the Greek yogurt to cool the entire mixture down.
  8. In a clean bowl, whip the 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
  9. Divide the mixture between two serving dishes.
  10. To serve, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract until soft peaks form. Spoon it over the chocolate mousse, and garnish with candy canes.

Notes

*If you're wondering how I got the crushed candy canes to stick to the rims of the glass, I dipped them in corn syrup first. I did this after the mousse set--if you work quickly, there's no risk of the mousse flopping out ;)

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