Recipe: Hot and Spicy Flaming Chocolate Mousse

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From Denny: If you are coming for a visit to New Orleans this April you might want to sign up and take these cooking lessons from some renowned New Orleans chefs!

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From Country Roads Magazine: Each week renowned New Orleans chefs including Maras, Poppy Tooker, Frank Brigtsen, and Boo Macomber come to The House on Bayou Road to teach their delicious lessons, at 5:30 pm each Thursday through Saturday in April. 2275 Bayou Road, twelve blocks from the French Quarter on Esplanade Ridge. All classes are $150 per person, all inclusive. (504) 430-5274.

Hot and Spicy Flaming Chocolate Mousse

From: House on Bayou Road, Chef Poppy Tooker

Yield: Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate morsels

½ tsp cayenne pepper

4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

8 eggs whites

¼ tsp coarse salt

8 sugar cubes

¼ cup 151 proof rum

Directions: Place the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl and melt in the microwave. Stir in cayenne pepper. Cool to room temperature.

Using an electric mixer, beat in egg yolks one at a time. Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until thickened. Gradually, add the sugar, beating until the cream is stiff.

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the whipped cream. Stir about one third of the cream mixture into the chocolate. Gently fold in the remainder, sprinkling pinches of salt into the mixture as you fold. Pour into individual serving dishes or a serving bowl and refrigerate, allowing it to set for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream. Soak the sugar cubes in the dark rum. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream, then carefully place the rum soaked sugar cube on top. Light the sugar cube and serve.