Bananna Chocolate Mousse help!

[Frayedknot]

HELP, I am preparing a menu/hosting a dinner for some friends (read other chefs) and I thought I had desert covered but as I write the recipe I am a bit stumped and in need of advice.

What I was hoping to do for the desert was a chocolate bannana mousse served in a florentine cup with a sprig of fresh spearmint and dusted with powdered sugar. (instead of Panne Cotte) My chocolate mousse recipe is as follows and I am wondering about the bannana. Should I use a flavoring or puree'd banannas?? How would you garnish? How much bannana to add?

9 oz Chocolate
2 cups heavy cream
3 eggs

Wisk eggs, melt chocolate and cool to room temp, Mix chocolate into eggs. Whip cream into soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into Chocolate mixture. Chill mixture.
Pipe into forentine cup ... garnish.

The stump part for me is the addtion of the bananna flavor, which I think is a great addition. I realize this is not an "over the top" finish but I do think the flavors would finish nicely.

The rest of the menu is spinach salad with toasted almonds, water chestnuts, bean sprouts with a bacon vinagarette, french onion soup, pork tenderloin stuffed with lump crab, stilton, and asperagus, roasted garlic/chive mashed potatoe, sauteed cuccumber, and of course fresh made yeast dinner rolls)

Thanks in advance your thoughts/advice would be appreciated. (a bunch)

[pjm333]

This is a banana & chocolate chiboust recipe,

Banana Chocolate Chiboust
3 gelatine sheets / soaked & drained
2 banana's- peeled, sliced
1 cup milk
6 eggs - seperated
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 oz chocolate
2 T flour
Process milk and banana and bring to boil, mix yolks, 1/4 C sugar and flour. Temper Milk mixture and return to boil..add to bowl and add gelatin and chocolate..mix well and cool down.
Cook remaining 1 C sugar 1/2 C water to 240 degrees..meanwhile beat the egg whites to stiff peak and add sugar syrup and beat stiff. Fold into banana chocolate mix.

This recipe is for individual desserts only..more gelatin for cakes. You can also freeze the mousse and carmalize it and then glaze it with cold glaze or apricot..

[kuan]

First, in the recipe, you don't have to separate the eggs?

Do not use pureed bananas if you're not going to bake them.

[Frayedknot]

Originally Posted by kuan

First, in the recipe, you don't have to separate the eggs?

Do not use pureed bananas if you're not going to bake them.

Yes, sorry, eggs are separated and whites are beaten to stiff peaks.

[kuan]

Can you make chocolate mousse? Have you ever put melted chocolate into eggyolks before?

I would concentrate on making a fantastic mousse first. Make it properly.

[Frayedknot]

Thanks Pat, I appreciate the recipe. By the way I viewed your pictures and WOW... looks great.

[Frayedknot]

Kuan, I have made Chocolate mousse before, never made it adding banannas, or bananna flavor, and was looking for some help. I am not sure where your question is comming from. If you are asking if I plan on beating the egg yolks until fluffy and cool THEN incorporating in the melted warm chocolate, then I guess the answer is yes, if you are thinking about another method then no.

I certainly DO NOT profess to have the knowledge and experiance that many here do. I bake in a bake shop, mostly breads. (hence my post here) and I read this forum daily (several times/day when I can). My thought process was trying to consider flavors then attempt to achieve the desired results. Admittedly my skills are not to the level of many here. Although, I do have a serious passion for food, and preparing it correctly.

[chefpeon]

Do not use pureed bananas if you're not going to bake them.

Why not?

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Frayedknot

Kuan, I have made Chocolate mousse before, never made it adding banannas, or bananna flavor, and was looking for some help. I am not sure where your question is comming from. If you are asking if I plan on beating the egg yolks until fluffy and cool THEN incorporating in the melted warm chocolate, then I guess the answer is yes, if you are thinking about another method then no.

Good then. Do you like your results? I was just wondering if you were a newbie at this or experienced, that's all. Sorry, if your sh!t is on then you should strut it a little. Anyway, I'd say if you really want to do this, use an extract.

Chefpeon: No on pureed bananas because it's mostly water with a little slime.

[Frayedknot]

Whew... got me worried there. I read your posts and go to school. I like the mousse recipe, and others have said it is pretty good as well. I am attempting to try something new, I find that if I ask the questions then it eliminates "some" trial and error. After giving it some thought I will use pieces of a bananna going up the side of the glass, the fill with mousse, then put about a 5" tuille twirl, top with dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint....

What ya think about dried Bananna chips (small) in the mousse, will give a suprise crunch ????

In so far as my stuff, I never "strut" it, I have a much more humble approach. Just me. It STILL blows my skirt up when folks take the time to compliment my food. For me that is the goal. Many others here have far superior skill sets, more artistic creative ability than I when it comes to food. My chef instructor, (on the savory side) who is the head of the ACF here, is inviting some of HIS CHEF FRIENDS. Just a bit nervous.

I am trying to do things just a bit different....ie Chocolate bannana mousse and "saute of julienned cucumbers are a couple of things

[m brown]

chocolate banana mousse?
you could add some banana liquor or extract or flavor paste or pruee or mash up some banana (i like a baby food mill for this job) and fold into your mousse then set.

banana chips? garnish cause they get really mushie if they are exposed to moisture.

add some caramel sauce and enjoy!!!

[jessiquina]

i would add some banana liquor. and i would not use a mint garnish. if it was mint mousse, yes. but there is no mint in this dessert.

[kuan]

Scott, if it were me I would do things different. Everyone develops their own style eventually and sometimes it just keeps evolving. I like to keep things simple, and IMO, very little can be done to enchance chocolate mousse. It's a little like grilling and serving a steak. Your major decision is the cut. Likewise, the area where you can make a difference is in the ingredients. Chocolate plays a big part. Find one or a combination which works for you and go from there.

[Eeyore]

I for one like the idea of trying banana and chocolate mousse together. I would not use banana flavoring. It'll be too fake. Use a hint of the liquor and maybe garnish with bananas. Keep in mind they brown fast. Instead of garnishing with banana chips why dont you caramelize some bananas yourself...much snazzier and still has the crunch.

You can cut the bananas in slices 1/4 inch thick or so diagonally on the bias.

I make a pretty mean chocolate mousse, and I always whisk the melted chocolate and egg yolks together. It looks like Ive really screwed up big and Im gonna have to throw it away and start over and then all of a sudden it comes together to a nice smoothe paste. Then I fold in whites and then cream. However it is true that a good mousse depends mostly on good chocolate.

DEFINATELY no mint garnish. The days of a sprig of mint finishing a dessert are long gone. Stick with the whipped cream and a banana garnish....maybe some shaved chocolate or even a tempered chocolate garnish.

Hope all goes well.
Let us know.

eeyore

[kuan]

Here's an idea.

Frozen mousse and flambe bananas.