Almond Chocolate Mousse

As my Grandpa would have said, sometimes I get a little too big for my britches.  (Can you tell I'm from the South?  They really have the best phrases down there.)  I think that I know better and I think I've got a handle on making substitutions in recipes.  A little confidence is one thing but I am not a trained chef or baker and I usually I know my limits.  Not today.

Granted, this wasn't a complete disaster - it actually resembled mousse.  It just wasn't great.  Here are the changes I made...

1. I used whole milk instead of 2% milk.
2. I substituted unsweetened chocolate for bittersweet chocolate.
3. I added more sugar to compensate for the unsweetened chocolate.
4. I didn't have Cool Whip, so I made my own whipped cream.
5. I didn't have any amaretto so I used an almond flavored syrup.
6. I didn't have instant espresso so I used instant coffee.

Usually when I'm making substitutions I'll make one or two but six is a lot for me.

The biggest problem with the mousse is that it was grainy and I think that had everything to do with the fact that I added more sugar to compensate for the unsweetened chocolate.  You want mousse to be fluffy and smooth but this one was a little gritty and made you want to chew it which you should not have to do.

The original recipe comes from Cooking Light and is probably pretty darn good.  I'm not even going to give you my version because it's not great and you shouldn't make it.

Enjoy!
Julie