Recipes

Thursday 2 April 2026

Dark chocolate mousse with negroni-steeped oranges

Chocolate and orange is a classic pairing, here combining in an impressively easy dessert

Ingredients

dark chocolate

200g

eggs

4

golden caster sugar

40g

lemon juice

¼tsp

whipped cream or clotted cream, to serve

For the negroni oranges

golden caster sugar

50g

orange juice

25ml

Campari

25ml

red vermouth

25ml

gin

25ml

oranges

2

This mousse is topped with gentle folds of whipped cream (substitute for clotted cream if you dare) and festooned with sparkling, boozy oranges steeped in negroni syrup. Far too impressive for the minimal effort involved.

Serves

4

| Time

240 mins

dark chocolate

200g

eggs

4

golden caster sugar

40g

lemon juice

¼tsp

whipped cream or clotted cream, to serve

For the negroni oranges

golden caster sugar

50g

orange juice

25ml

Campari

25ml

red vermouth

25ml

gin

25ml

oranges

2

Serves

4

| Time

240 mins

Method

Melt the broken chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites and lemon juice to soft peaks. Add the sugar, then whisk to stiff peaks.

Whisk the egg yolks quickly into the melted chocolate, then whisk in a third of the beaten egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites very gently until just combined, then divide between 4 bowls and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) until set.

To make the oranges, combine all the ingredients except the fruit in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Peel and segment the oranges. Pour the negroni mixture over the orange segments and refrigerate until needed.

Serve the mousses topped with whipped or clotted cream and a spoonful of the boozy oranges.

Ingredients

dark chocolate

200g

eggs

4

golden caster sugar

40g

lemon juice

¼tsp

whipped cream or clotted cream, to serve

For the negroni oranges

golden caster sugar

50g

orange juice

25ml

Campari

25ml

red vermouth

25ml

gin

25ml

oranges

2

Method

Melt the broken chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites and lemon juice to soft peaks. Add the sugar, then whisk to stiff peaks.

Whisk the egg yolks quickly into the melted chocolate, then whisk in a third of the beaten egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites very gently until just combined, then divide between 4 bowls and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) until set.

To make the oranges, combine all the ingredients except the fruit in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Peel and segment the oranges. Pour the negroni mixture over the orange segments and refrigerate until needed.

Serve the mousses topped with whipped or clotted cream and a spoonful of the boozy oranges.

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