Chocolate Mousse Cake

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By Cynthia Fueredi

“Romance? What is romance? Is it when I give you flowers? When I give you a gorgeous dinner? Or is it when I simply say I love you?” — Anonymous

Let’s face it, I am truly the last person to be writing to you about romance, falling in love, being in love, or doing something special for your Valentine this year. In fact, I would rather stick HOT pins in my eyes than even begin to think about facing another Feb. 14 in my continuing state of oneness.

Some of you will say, “Oh, big deal. It’s just another Hallmark holiday.” Yeah, well it’s easy to say that when you’ll be the recipient of a ruby red envelope, some overpriced flowers, or a box of waxy chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, I can honestly say that I couldn’t care less if I ever have another piece of chocolate in my remaining years. I do know that I am certainly in the minority on this one.

Do you know why chocolate became the gift of choice for Valentine’s Day? Chocolate is a well-known aphrodisiac. The Aztecs and the Mayans were the first to recognize the potency of chocolate. The Aztec ruler Montezuma reportedly drank 50 cups of chocolate each day to better serve his harem of 600 women. In the Mayan empire, payment for one night at the brothel cost one handful of cacao beans.

Church officials in the 17th century deemed it sinful to partake of chocolate. Obviously, a tried-and-true potion for lovers, it now has the backing of the scientific community. Besides the jolt of caffeine found in chocolate, it also contains phenylethylamine, which runs through the veins of those in love. (I would be a strong negative on that lab test.)

So, the combination of feeling hopelessly in love with a little chocolate … well, as they say, “Katie, bar the door!”

We don’t need scientific proof that aphrodisiacs exist. We only need to experience them for ourselves. If you have ever painstakingly prepared a candlelit meal, or simply buttered your sweetheart’s toast, it says “I love you, I want you, and you are worth the effort.”

I hope my I-didn’t-have-a-lot-of-time-but-I-love-you Chocolate Mousse Cake helps you say “I love you,” not just on Valentine’s Day but any day of the year.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Base

1 cup crushed shortbread cookies (like Lorna Doone, about 12 cookies)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

Filling

3 packages (each 3.2 ounces) chocolate mousse mix

½ cup finely chopped chocolate caramel bar

Topping

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Fresh strawberries, for garnish

Mix together base ingredients. Press firmly into base of 10-inch spring form pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Prepare chocolate mousse per package directions. Reserve and chill 1 cup for garnish. Fold in chocolate caramel mixture. (A note about the chocolate. You can use 4 squares of a 3.5-ounce Ghirardelli chocolate-and-caramel bar. Chopping will be messy and a bit clumpy, but it breaks up when you fold it into the mousse, and it tastes oh so good.) Spoon into prepared spring form pan. Chill a minimum of four hours or overnight.

For the topping, melt chocolate and butter over very low heat until mixture is completely smooth. Cool and pour over mousse in pan.

Allow topping to set firmly before garnishing with reserved mousse and strawberries. You might want to use a pastry bag with a star tip to pipe your chilled mousse garnish.