Salted butter-->caramel + milk chocolate = mousse. Whoa.

The salted butter caramel wave hit me full force this summer with the downing of a dreamy crepe containing the hot stuff and some sliced bananas. I now also believe that the caramel ice cream I swooned over at Berthillon was salted caramel ice cream. Mm mm mm mm MM!
Elisabeth, always with a finger on the pulse, gave me a heads-up when The NY Times Magazine recently featured an article on this wonderful Breton traditional, and a recipe for this mousse was included. Described as "palate-awakening," salted caramel & salted chocolate treats are apparently sweeping the nation, so if you don't feel like making your own, you can pretty easily stumble upon something to satisfy your salty-sweet craving. It's sooo good!





Definitely put this recipe in your back pocket and remember it on Valentine's Day or some other romantic evening, b/c I'm sure it will serve as a love potion...if not something more obscene, as our normally cool-headed friend Fosse described when she made it earlier this week! It's freak-out good.
Salted Caramel & Milk Chocolate Mousse
100g granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
30g good-quality salted butter
200ml double cream or crème fleurette or heavy whipping cream
200g milk chocolate (38% cocoa solid)
3 eggs, separated
Make a caramel with the sugar and water. Off the heat, mix in the butter and cream until smooth.
Add the milk chocolate and wait for a minute or two for the chocolate to melt. Homogenise by mixing.
Mix in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until they form firm peaks and fold into the chocolate mixture.
Divide between six ramekins and chill for at least 6 hours or as long as you can hold out & hold 'em off.

Props to l'adorable Fanny's Foodbeam for this version of the recipe, which she adapted from Du Caramel Plein la Bouche by Trish Deseine.
And a big thank-you to E. for sending me the magazine, which also happened to include a thoughtful article on elephants, beloved by me.