Chocolate mousse, besides being darn tasty, does have quite the story!

Originating in France, it was first known as mayonnaise de chocolat, and was invented by world-renowned French post-impressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec in the late 19th century.

It has been said that no artist captured the bohemian underworld of 19^th century Paris like he did. His paintings and posters featured cabarets, cafes, dancehalls, as well as brothels, and defined the way we think of what that era was about in the heart of Paris. Some of his well-known work includes the portrait of Vincent van Gogh, at the Moulin Rouge, as well as the Streetwalker.

The bohemian artist adored women, was an alcoholic, and during his short life found the time to invent dishes. He even wrote a cook book, “Art of Cuisine”, which included his memorable recipes published decades after his early demise from alcoholism and syphilis.

His recipe for the chocolate mousse, translating as foam which describes the airy texture of the dessert, as it has become known, is certainly a classic, traditional, but versatile, dish and can be served in many ways.

Enjoyed by lovers of chocolate and simple desserts, mousses can be flavoured with other ingredients, such as juices, syrups, vanilla, etc. According to Google, there are hundreds of variations to the Mousse.

Head Culinary Artist, Wesley Kurt Peters, at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa certainly has put his own signature to this dessert dish, pulling out all the stops in creating this mouthwatering, melting Mousse pie.

The mousse pie (yield 8 portions)

Ingredients for the biscuit base:

• 113g butter
• 190g brown sugar
• 50g white sugar
• 1 egg
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 5g salt
• 5g bicarbonate of soda
• 250g flour
• 200g dark chocolate chips

Method:

• Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla and beat!
• Mix all dry ingredients and add to the butter egg mixture.
• Roll out onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 160°C for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, when baked, and using a large cutter, cut cookies to desired size.

Ingredients for the marshmallow

• 100g eggs whites
• 210g castor sugar
• 20g powdered gelatine

Method:

• Place egg whites and castor sugar into double boiler and whisk until sugar is dissolved
• Remove from heat and place mixture in a stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Whisk on high speed until stiff peak and shiny
• Bloom gelatine in 6ml of warm water – allow gelatine to completely dissolve
• Pour into meringue mixture while mixer is on low
• Pour into a lined tray and set in a fridge until stiff
• Using the same cutter, cut the marshmallow the same size as the cookie
• Cut a small hole in the middle of the marshmallow and fill with any fruit sauce of your choice
• Cover the marshmallow and sauce with another biscuit piece you cut out and make sure it is level and sealed
• Place in the fridge to set
• For the coating, melt 70% chocolate and pour over the pie
• Store in the fridge and serve with ice cream

If you don’t have the knack to whip up this dessert, then head up to the Eaves Restaurant at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa and spoil yourself.

For more information and bookings, contact Granny Mouse on 033 234 4071 or visit www.grannymouse.co.za

References

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/rwXhbNRB0espLQ

Apart from the menu and the quality of the food served at a wedding, getting great pictures of the day is paramount, as these are memories you will treasure and share with your children, grandchildren and the rest of the family. Once the day has passed and the honeymoon is over, you want to love every image from that day.

It really is so important then that you’re happy with your wedding photos, as they can cause the biggest regret for a couple.

Sean Granger, General Manager of Granny Mouse, and his team have a couple of tips when choosing THAT photographer, and whether he or she will be able to capture the essence of your wedding and the venue.

• First things first, the style of the wedding – is it casual, formal, dramatic, unique or very traditional? Does the photographer have to capture in a documentary way, spontaneous, and in a fun way?

• Also important, what is your budget? Make up a total budget and see what it is you can allocate to your photographer. Most photographers will provide you with a cost breakdown, and to get an idea, costs can vary from R1 000 to a whopping R80 000.

• Have you worked out the theme to the wedding? What is the style – do you want a mixture of classic, sepia, bright and colourful, creative? Create a shortlist of photographers you have searched, googled or received references from. You will have lots of fun when searching for the right person.

• Always check out their previous work and read testimonials they have shared from clients.

• If you have found your perfect photographer, check their availability, meet with them, and ensure you have a good rapport with them. You need to make sure that you get along with them, as this will help on the day.

When meeting with them, here are a few important questions to ask them so there are no surprises:

• How many hours does the quote cover? There is normally a limit, and time thereafter is costed per hour. Will they provide you with prints, a complete album and any other extras?

• In the event of the photographer getting sick, is there a plan B, and does that include them in the contract or meeting?

If you are having a separate photographer and videographer, make sure the rapport between these two is good. This is crucial as no one wants to see the two complementary visual aspects be destroyed because they are both trying to get the shot and working over each other, versus as a team.

Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to your wedding. For any enquiries on having your bespoke wedding at Granny Mouse Country House and Spa simply contact head of special functions, Veronica Sookdin.