Today was my first day as a gloriously-free metaphorically-sparkly-winged soul-dancing job-untethered person-me.
I celebrated by returning to the dentist, for the second day in a row, to become a numb-faced-person-me. Then I went to the optometrist. This on top of a panicked visit to the doctor on Monday afternoon, which resulted in my current status as an antibiotics-taking-person-me.
In other words, this has proven a very expensive week to no longer have an income.
But you know what? I’m a gloriously-free metaphorically-sparkly-winged soul-dancing job-untethered person-me, and no medical professional can take that away from me.
(Tangent: if I currently owe you an email, please accept my profuse apologies for my silence, and see above for the explanation. I am truly humbled by the emails and messages I’ve received following my announcement, and promise to reply upon my return to Canberra next week.)
All these visits to doctors and dentists reminded me that, way back an age of lengthy time ago, I made Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups. And, way back an age of lengthy time ago, I forgot to tell you about them.
Using the Cadbury chocolate I was sent last year (with which I also made my Seriously Rich Chocolate Brownies and Chocolate Bubble Slice with Peanut Butter Icing), I made Cadbury’s chocolate mousse using cream cheese.
I’m not one for chocolate mousse, as a rule. Quite apart from the whole “dairy makes my body cry” thing, I don’t like chocolate desserts, preferring my chocolate in straight-up bar form. However, the spoonfuls I swiped of this mousse were quite delicious, with the nostalgic flavour of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate blending with the subtle tang of cheesecake-like cream cheese.
Many spoonfuls were swiped, in fact. Quite a few many yes indeed.
Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups
Makes 4, slightly adapted from Cadbury Kitchen
- 125g cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup thick whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1 tsp gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
- 100g dark chocolate, melted (I used Cadbury Baking Chocolate)
- 100g milk chocolate, melted (I used Cadbury Baking Chocolate)
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the egg yolks, gelatine mixture and melted chocolate, mixing until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks then fold into the mousse mixture, ensuring no big pockets of egg white remain. No one likes that.
- Spoon into four coffee cups and chill in the fridge for four hours, or overnight.
Question Time: If you could be any kind of bird, what would you be?
I’m not really greatly into chocolate mousse, but would totally try this if you made it for me. Plus, I like cream cheese. I might swipe quite a few spoonfuls myself, in fact!
Wow. Definitely want this. I’m supposed to make a cheesecake for a party in 2 weeks. I don’t know how I’m going to wait that long.
Cheesecake is the one dairy-dessert that constantly sings its siren song to me. It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper dense-dense-dense baked cheesecake Wonder if there will be some at the Winter Farmers Market I’m heading to in five minutes. Probably not. Sigh.
Hope you’re doing all right Hannah! Just remember to take deep breaths- stress only makes it worse!
This chocolate cup looks amazing- so rich!
Thank you Gabby. I’ll definitely need to focus on breathing once I’m back in Canberra and have to start with all the errands trulytruly!
CONGRATS! You’re freeeeeee!
I owe you an email too. Let’s just say I want you here by August 24th. We’ll talk more through email ASAP!
And now I owe you the email! We’ll work it all out somehow
xoxo
Oh my gracious that looks amazing!
Ack! I have to pretend like I never saw this deliciousness. Not allowed in my training program… but I really want to face-plant into that bowl. Immediately, if not sooner.
Maybe it you just put a layer of protein powder on top? Then you could pretend it was a protein mousse?
Well, aren’t you funny… LOL! I heart you.
Come to ATL and I’ll take you to the best chocolate cake in the world.
Hmm. It will have to be pretty good chocolate cake to make me forget that I have no interest in chocolate cake
ATL will definitely happen, if not this year then whenever I’m allowed to do another Visa Waiver next year
Oh, this is only loosely defined as cake. It melts in your mouth. Almost literally.
Ethereal cake! The best kind!
So, um, if you want somewhere to store those cups and saucers while you’re away …
They’re all yours. What’s a little mould between friends?
Ahhh mould, the ultimate flavour enhancer …
looks delicious Hannah, very rich for me though, cause im a nanna lol
Exciting times ahead Hannah, i wish you all the best xoxo
That’s why spoonfuls work best. You get to eat a lot while feeling that you aren’t!
Hannah I would never want to take from you the feeling of being a gloriously-free metaphorically-sparkly-winged soul-dancing job-untethered person. On Monday though when I go back to work I will be supremely jealous
Teehee, thank you Gary!
Well I would definitely NOT be a (ugh ugh ugh) pelican (ugh ugh)
But I don’t know what I would be either – maybe a kiwi? Round and fluffy and likes to sniff things and stay up late.
Am not a big Cadbury fan, but I do love mousse – there’s never enough of it in my life in fact, so thanks for reminding me of it! Might have to set that imbalance right this weekend.
And then you will dedicate the mousse recipe in your cookbook to me. And call it Kiwi Mousse. WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND KIWI FRUIT. The end.
Or maybe not.
Dear Hannah,
If I could be any kind of bird, I would like to be Superman because he can fly faster than any other bird in the world.
That’s a pretty good answer, I must say.
Freedom!!! I’m so excited that in a few weeks you’ll be swirling your sparkly energy throughout my hemisphere. Lucky, lucky me.
xoxo
And every swirly step will be a swirly step closer to your kale deliciousness. I can’t wait. xo
Well, spirit animal tests tell me I am very far from an owl, so despite my owl inclination I suppose I am not owlish in form or function. I would like to be a swallow, because that would be the prettiest soaringest bird-me.
I dread doctor visits given my current state of health insurance lackingness. I took quite a scary tumble when we were out biking last night, and for some time could only lay in the trail looking up to watch the treetops move, wondering how I was going to afford to pay stretcher men to come get me. Eventually I was able to get up on my own, once I stopped gasp-screaming and my breath came back to my lungs. Today I’ve hobbled around extensively and felt old and sore. But enough about me, what I mean to say is, I hope you get all healed up quick-like. xo.
And we all know that spirit animal tests SPEAK THE TRUTH. Perhaps you are a swallow inside and owl which also houses a hummingbird. Like a turducken, except not for eating, and PRETTY.
Oh Emma, I has the worrieds for you! Are you feeling okay today? I cannot deal with America’s lack of health cover/insurance. Knowing how expensive this week has been for me *with* cover, I just can’t imagine!
Im glad you aren’t scared of doctors (like *ahem* someone was very slightly
) 
Hoping everything is going well now!
This mousse is the perfect treat to eat, no, devour after all this running round!
So creamy and chocolatey and cream-cheesy
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Well, it’s not like I look forward to doctors and dentists, but being terrified and stressed only makes it worse!
Hope you feel better/get everything sorted health-wise…. why does it always ALL happen at once!?!
My darling Lisa told me that it’s the universe allowing me time to heal before my adventure. Dear heavens I hope so.
wowza, these look great. i love chocolate anything, particularly chocolate mousse.
i can totally relate to the unexpected medical costs! i recently had my wisdom teeth out and had to dish out thousands of dollars. who knew taking care of yourself was so damn expensive?
hope you had an awesome week
Oh, you poor thing! I haven’t had my wisdom teeth out (yet) but have had my fair share of fillings. Numb and swollen face sympathy my dear!
Still, I think my health is the one place I’d rather pay than skimp.
You ate eggs!!! = protein + zinc + vitamin B12
That makes me happy.
I’ve never made mousse and I don’t even think I’ve ever eaten it, but yours looks smooth and creamy.
Bahahaha! Love it! I also occasionally eat poached eggs on English muffins when I’m out and about. I would do that with you, Margaret. With you.
Like you, I prefer my chocolate ‘whole’ and not as a flavour in a dessert. Same goes for chocolate milk which is the devil’s own urine and always – always – utterly disappointing. Thank goodness for coffee, berries and caramel consolations instead.
These, however, look rather good and I have a very similar recipe that I use for my leftover chocolate stash too. As it happens, Sapphire made them for our dessert last night! Weird coincidence or what?
High five, Kath! Even as a kid, ordering lunch from the school canteen, I’d always get the Honeycomb Moove instead of the chocolate. None of this watery insipid chocolate “flavour” for me.
Coincidence, or proof of the perfection of our friendship? The latter, say I.
I much prefer the sound of cheesecake mousse to regular old creamy mousse. I am sure you were reminded of it by your medical appts because if you had eaten more of this mousse maybe you wouldn’t have needed your appts because you would be super healthy (ok ’tis wishful thinking). Well here’s hoping that there are very few medical appts ahead of you – they are always worse in a foreign land – and I am glad to see there are no toe specialists among your appts
Actually… yes, there have been. I’m just trying to ignore those ones. Podiatrist a few weeks ago, doctor for the toe a few weeks ago, and double-checked about the toe with the doctor this week too. I refuse to let it crumple me, though. I’m going to keep on keeping on!
P.S. Some of these appts are more about trying to ensure I don’t need to do them overseas, as you say! Overseas medical bills would *really* not be kind to my unemployed state.
Hmm, I need to go back and read the announcement. Clearly I’m not caught up on the news. I hope the job-freeness is a chosen state. These do look rather delicious I must say. I normally pick girlie/fruity desserts rather than chocolate ones.
I would be a mallard.
See, you can say that because male mallards are gorgeous with their pretty shiny blue-green heads. I couldn’t say that, because female mallards are just dull brown all over. I’d want to be pretty too.
My daughter and I both went ooooohhhhhh for a long time when we opened this post. That looks incredibly delectable. Glad to hear you have your sparkly wings on. I would be a Kookaburra and laugh all day.
I love your answer! And I now have the Kookaburra song in my head… Aw, you read this with your daughter? That makes my heart happy.
So happy, again, for your sparkling, soaring, exciting freedom
Just move on from the dental and optometry and doctor’s visits, ok?
This, if I’m honest, is the sort of mousse I like best, and do miss since I’ve gone off gelatin. Much as I like chocolate avocado pudding, it is not fluffy like this. This looks divine, and matches perfectly with the beautiful cups.
Believe you me, I’d like to stop making and attending those appointments too soon! Fingers crossed. Thanks darling
Ah yes, it is difficult to get the lightness with chocolate avocado mousse. Perhaps one day Australia will give us Irish Moss!
Serving the mousse in those beautiful cups is such a gorgeous idea!
I do enjoy raiding my parents’ house for crockery
This looks so smooth and delicious! I’m currently in your ‘hood of Canberra and eating a box of chocolates. I’ll eat the next one for you!
I MISS YOU! xo (and missed you…)
Oh you poor thing! Well, you made the right thing – decadent creamy chocolate cures all. Perhaps your true destiny is as a chocolatier?
A hummingbird.
I’d like to think hummingbird for me too, but I fear I lack their boundless energy!
Oh, a chocolatier, wouldn’t that just be the dream…
I’ve just seen your announcement post – if you find yourself in New England, let me know (or maybe in Virginia, if I end up there, but that is still a hush-hush thing, both in real life and on the blog!) Congratulations, Hannah!
Thank you Errign! Oh, I loved my time in Charlottesville, so three cheers for Virginia! (hush hush cheers, of course
) I’m not quite sure where my meanderings will take me this time round, but I foresee more trips into the US in my future if I decide to settle in Canada 
Just read your announcement.. big changes.. but they will soon settle down.. take care.. ea lots of chocolate and safe travels! if u happen to plan to hit seattle.. give me a holler!
Thank you Richa! I adored Seattle when I visited in mid-2007; I’d love to revisit it sometime
Oh dear. You have reminded me that a medical overhaul is long overdue. Good to get those things out of the way before your travels. I love your pretty cup and saucer. And your mousse looks deliciously smooth xx
Booking them all within the space of a few days is expensive, but dear heavens it’s good to (hopefully) have it all out of the way!
So glad you didn’t make this the day you went to the dentist …
As for a bird, I think I’ve always wanted to be a Pink Flamingo. They are so pretty and can balance on one leg. Or an owl. They are so wise.
I am always saying that you are wise like an owl, and you can often stand on one leg (just not when you’ve been drinking in Rutherglen) so lookee! You’ve attained your dream! Your are Flamingowl!
Boo for expensive medical bills. But yay for an amazing chocolate-y cheesecake mousse! It looks so good.
Oh I wish I was a wedge-tailed eagle with a massive wing span, soaring and swirling high in the sky above the fields, trying to spot a chocolate mousse and then diving down to swipe a spoonful. Ah, how good is that!
That’s my kind of eagle.
I usually wouldn’t opt for a chocolate mousse either if given a choice of other flavors, but that creamy, fluffy texture absolutely sells it!
Darling, I love how our tastes align. We’re going to have such a wonderful time in NYC!
Oh no I hope it’s all good now at the dentist
Ohhh this is a great recipe thanks ~ I have a friend coming over for dinner this saturday i might as well make her this for dessert 
More sugar. The evidence is overwhelming.
Yeah, but I barely ate this one. Check and mate.