“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!

Print Recipe

Chocolate Mousse with Candied Pistachios

Yield: Serves 2 to 3

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 30 minute chill time

Cook Time: 10 minutes

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

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