Pudding

Cherry Brandy & Chocolate Mousses

25 prep, 10min cook

Serves 6

Ingredients

400g British cherries

3 tbsps brandy or cherry brandy

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

15g butter

4 medium free range eggs, separated

2 tbsps icing sugar

5 tbsps double cream

120ml double cream

25g dark chocolate, melted, optional Little dusting of cocoa

Method

Reserve 6 of the whole cherries for decoration, then remove the stalks and stones from the rest. Soak the stoned cherries in brandy in a small bowl tightly covered with clingfilm in the fridge overnight.

The next day add the chocolate and butter to a large bowl and set this over a saucepan of very gently simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Leave for 5 minutes or so until the chocolate has melted.

Stir the egg yolks one at a time into the warm chocolate then take the bowl off the heat and stir in the sugar and cream until smooth. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold a spoonful into the chocolate mix to loosen the mixture then gently fold in the remainder.

Drain off any excess brandy from the cherries into the chocolate mousse then divide the cherries between small champagne, wine or liqueur glasses.

Pour the chocolate mousse into the assorted glasses then chill for 4 hours or until set.

To decorate, softly whip the cream, then spoon over the glasses and dust lightly with a little sifted cocoa. Dip the reserved cherries on stalks into the melted chocolate if using and arrange on top of the cream. Chill until ready to serve.