Chocolate-rum mousse, which ran in The Times in 1966, was a remarkably efficient recipe in two distinct ways. First, it invoked nearly every food trend of its moment: chocolate desserts were an exotic new fix; any respectable grown-up dessert contained rum; mousse suggested that you understood French cooking, or at least pretended to; two cups of cream was de rigueur; and the recipe assumed you owned one of the kitchen’s latest appliances, the home blender. Second, the newfangled blender actually did make the recipe a wonder of efficiency: all you had to do was layer the ingredients and blend, and a dinner-party mousse was yours.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup cold whole milk
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • ¾ cup milk, heated to boiling
  • 6 tablespoons dark rum
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 6-ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 ice cubes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

      387 calories; 29 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 107 milligrams cholesterol; 85 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

Serves 8

Preparation

  1. Put the cold milk and gelatin in blender. Cover and blend at low speed to soften the gelatin.
  2. Add boiling milk; blend until the gelatin dissolves. If gelatin granules cling to the container, use a rubber spatula to push them down.
  3. When the gelatin is dissolved, add the rum, egg, sugar and salt. Blend at high speed and add chocolate pieces until smooth.
  4. Add 1 cup of the cream and the ice cubes. Continue blending until the ice is liquefied. Pour into parfait or wine glasses and chill.
  5. Add vanilla to the other cup of cream and whip until stiff. Top the mousse with whipped cream.

6 minutes

Dining and Cooking