Here’s the recipe for a super easy chocolate mousse that you can whip up in no time. The waiting time to devour it is a little long, but it is totally worth it. Creamy, light, luscious, and velvety—all the good things in one. Love at first spoon that is.

Black Velvet Chocolate Mousse
Barely adapted from “Luscious Chocolate Desserts,” by Lori Longbotham

Note: The fist time I made this mousse, I used bittersweet chocolate and 1/4 cup sugar, as the recipe called for. The sweetness was perfect. The second time, I used semi-sweet chocolate with the same amount of sugar. I thought the mousse was too sweet.  Next time I made it with semi-sweet chocolate and reduced the amount of sugar in half. And once I even cut the sugar down altogether. The family liked it with some sugar, I liked it without.  So, I recommend that you adjust the amount of sugar to your liking, if you make this mousse with semi-sweet chocolate.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar (1/8 cup or omit, if using semisweet chocolate)
4 large eggs, separate
Pinch of salt

Directions

Melt the chocolate with the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1+1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Add the sugar, if using, and whisk until well blended. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Set aside.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a whisk or a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Fold in the remaining chocolate mixture in 2 batches just until well blended.

Transfer to 4 serving bowls or glasses. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days before serving.