Coffee Mousse

Coffee mousse is a deliciously sophisticated dessert. It's the perfect ending for a candlelight dinner for two, and the recipe makes enough for eight servings, so it's also a great choice for dinner parties. A simple twist on chocolate mousse, this lovely dessert skips the chocolate entirely, focusing instead on the rich flavor of coffee alone. Of course, you can always dress it up with chocolate sauce if you like.

The coffee mousse recipe is relatively simple. Even if it's your first attempt at making the airy French dessert, it will walk you through the steps of making a delicious mousse. It is slightly different from other mousse recipes because it uses evaporated milk and brown sugar and is stabilized with gelatin.

There is a trick to successfully making the egg custard that is blended with the freshly whipped cream. After heating the evaporated milk and coffee, you'll need to temper the sweetened egg yolks by adding just a portion of the hot coffee milk and mixing that before combining it with the rest of the hot milk. Pour slowly both times because this key step gradually heats the eggs and prevents curdling, which could create an unappetizingly chunky mousse.

Since coffee is the only flavoring, make sure it's good and strong. Brew coffee with freshly ground beans and choose a brewing method, such as a French press or pour-over, that produces a richer, more flavorful cup than a standard drip brewing machine.