chocolate mousse with candied pistachios
“Oh, honey, you baked. . .”
Do you remember this famous line from a certain 1995 classic film?
Where are my manners? Of course you do! How can anyone forget the movie Clueless staring Alicia Silverstone (Cher) and super cute Paul Rudd (Josh)? I was OBSESSED with that movie growing up. Wait. Who am I kidding? I still quote that movie even though I’m thirty! “I don’t like it when balls fly at my nose.” “Well, there goes your social life.” Classic.
I still remember going to the movie theater with a gaggle of my best friends, sneaking in a box of Milk Duds, and wanting to be Cher. I remember thinking, 1) I need to move to Beverly Hills ASAP, 2) I really need to drive a white Jeep Wrangler even though everywhere in Beverly Hills has valet parking, and 3) saying “whatever” emphasized with making the letter W out of your hand is totally not cool!
Back to the baking quote. I felt bad for Cher when she tried to “bake” for Christian. (By the way, I still think she was spot on for taking Polaroid pictures instead of using a mirror to decide on an outfit to wear. Mirrors really do add weird, funky shapes.) Cher puts a pre-made Pillsbury cookie log onto a baking sheet and burns it to a crisp. Yikes. Even though yours truly isn’t a baker, I still appreciated her enthusiasm to impress her date.
So, this got me thinking. What would be a fun full-proof dessert that would impress any boy? I admit, I gave the ol’ Pillsbury cookie log a long, hard thought. Nothing beats a Pillsbury sugar cookie. But what I had envisioned was something of the non-cookie family. Enter, the ze chocolate-y mousse. But not just any mousse, chocolate mousse topped with candied pistachios.
Friends, how I ever survived without candied pistachios before is beyond me. All you have to do is cover some pistachios in sugar, bake, and in a few minutes you the ultimate sweet/salty combo! Throw the candied pistachios onto some silky mousse and you have yourself a guaranteed date for life!
Chocolate Mousse with Candied Pistachios
Ingredients:
for the whipping cream:
1 cup whipping cream
for the meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
for the chocolate:
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
for the pistachios:
1 tablespoon sugar in the raw
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons hot water
Directions:
for the whipping cream:
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk cream until fluffy. Set aside.
for the meringue:
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, blend egg whites and cream of tarter until frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form. Set aside.
for the chocolate:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips. Set aside to cool.
for the pistachios:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and chop.
To make the mousse, combine melted chocolate with meringue. Gently fold until well combined. Then gently fold in whipping cream. Place chocolate mousse in fridge to let it chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with candied pistachios on top!
candied pistachio recipe from Food and Wine
All images and text ©
Lauren?? How on earth did you know that I love chocolate mousse?? Seriously I love the stuff and the candied pistachios!! OMG swoon!
Yay!! I am so excited that you like chocolate mousse. It’s one of my favs too!
I know you were talking about the movie but the second you said Cher I kept picturing you wanted to be THE Cher lol totally different issue all together. Phew… glad I was wrong. Pass me some mousse. I must be low on sugar 😉
Ha! I could totally see where you would think that! And I’m sending the mousse your way ASAP!
Loved that movie! I still think Paul Rudd is so cute! I’m all over this dessert with the candied pistachios. Great idea!
Me too! I adore Paul Rudd!
That chocolate mousse looks so good!
Thank you, Kevin! Have a great day!
I could watch this movie over and over with no shame. I’m going to need to try out these candied pistachios.
Me too! This movie is full of great one-liners!
I want to tell my jeans WHATeverrahhh, because they clearly don’t understand how much I need these candied ‘stachios and chocolate.
Dude, I feel ya! These things are like crack!
Cher: Would you call me selfish?
Dionne: No, not to your face.
LOVE that movie and this Mousse with CANDIED Pistachios!.. The all-caps shows my excitement.. I need this, like right now.
OMG! I totally forget that line. Nice! And yes, CANDIED pistachios are epic:)
Totally loved that movie! And I love these candied pistachios even more!! Genius!
Thanks doll face! I hope you had a great day!
Gorgeous!!! I love chocolate mousse, and the addition of candied pistachio is just heaven!
Love that movie, but I haven’t seen it in forever!
OH HAIIIIIIII puddin’ pie 🙂
Wuz up sugar dumpling? 🙂
I have never eaten a candied pistachio! that’s going to have to change immediately. 🙂
Eileen!!!!! You must make these ASAP! K. thanks.
Oh my gawwww Clueless. I am now replaying it in my head non-stop. I just may have to watch it tonight. It’s my second favorite movie of all time, after Beetlejuice, of course!
We need to have a Clueless marathon weekend sometime when I’m back in the Little Apple! Now, go hug that panda!
what a great combination for a luscious treat!! it looks so airy and fluffy and i looove the candied pistachios!! i could eat an entire bag of pistachios and the fact that you candied them? oh dear, i’m in trouble 🙂
Fo’ reals! Pistachios are like crack. I think I just doubled the crack level. Wait. Does that make sense? You totally need to make these:)
o-m-g this sounds (and of course looks) so good! Candied pistachios? Genius my friend. I also love Clueless, too!
Thanks, Katie! I aim to please:)
I can’t tell ya how many times I’ve seen Clueless and how every time, I’ve wanted her closet full of clothing (in spite of how 90s all of her clothes are) with the computer program to pick me out an outfit. and I had the biggest crush on Paul Rudd in that movie! Timeless classic. So….your mousse….yeaaaaaah…I don’t know what to say next it looks so great and I must candy me some pistachios!
Dude, so did I! I freaking loved her closet. And Paul Rudd, such a sweetheart. I would share my mousse jar with him:)
I watch Clueless every time it is on TV and I laugh every time she plops that huge chunk of cookie dough down on the pan!
I love chocolate mousse and the candied pistachios make this even more special!
Right?! It’s freaking hysterical. How dumb can you really be? Ha! And you need to try the candied pistachios. It’s major:)
As if.
Oh and pistachios are my favorite nut, so adding sugar to them sounds right up my alley
I still think as if is one of my favorite lines! Let’ brink it back!
Pistachios = heaven; Chocolate Mousse = divinity. Love love love!!! Great cool treat for summer too. Do I have to share?
Nope! This jar has your name written all over it!
Look at these jars!! One wouldn’t be enough for me!
Steph, I found the jars at Hobby Lobby in case you wanted to get your mitts on some! And agreed, one was definitely not enough!
Can I just say how much I LOVE chocolate mousse and how underrated I think pistachios are in the dessert world?? Combining the two together makes my heart sing!!
And I’m totally there with you about wanting to move to Beverly Hills and drive a white Jeep. Like it would have been like totally awesome.
This is incredible! Love the candied pistachios!
Podnosi polską jadać Vipassana znane konwenansowe fix. Prawda wycen. od
This sounds so insanely GOOD.
And how could I have forgotten all about Clueless? I think I could recite the script word for word if someone started me off. I need to rewatch it now that I’m 27, I’m sure there is a ton of stuff I missed.