Years ago, before I started catering, some friends and I decide to do a series of fundraiser dinners for Chabad. Utilizing the cooking skills of women in the community, we develop menus based on their cultural backgrounds. We create a French night, an Italian night and an amazing Thai night. This recipe for pareve chocolate mousse is from Naomi Leah who now lives in England. She had attended school in France and worked on the French menu. This was, of course, pre-Benoit!

None of us had experience cooking for 120 guests, the maximum the old Chabad House could hold seated at tables. I remember Naomi Leah beating the eggs in very small batches to make this mousse. I've graduated to 50 servings at a time but think that there are advantages to smaller batches. For one, there is less folding of the egg whites at the end. The result is a lighter mousse.

I like serving the mousse on buffets in small chocolate cups. They are dainty and elegant, especially with a dusting of cocoa powder. For seated meals, I like to serve the mousse in Cosmo glasses. Sadly, this photo was taken without the garnish as I was loading the glasses back into the crates for transport to an event. You'll have to imagine the dollop of whipped cream, mint leaf and strawberry garnish. I also like serving a plate of cookies family style, my favorite being the Sephardic Biscocho.

The good news here is that this mousse can be made kosher for Passover! Whoo-hoo ~ something light and chocolate after a large meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted margarine
• 10 egg yolks
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Steps:

Place the margarine and chocolate chips in a bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. When melted, stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. We don't want it to get hard again but don't want it blazing hot.

Combine egg yolks and 1/2 of the sugar in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle beater. Beat the yolks and sugar.

Continue beating the yolks and sugar until very light and a slowly dissolving 'ribbon' forms when some of the mixtuxe is lifted back and forth. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the melted chocolate to the beaten egg mixture.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate using a lifting over and under motion, rotating the bowl as you blend. Do not beat or stir. Gently 'romance it' over and  under.

Continue folding until well blended. Gently transfer to another large bowl and wash the mixing bowl. We need a clean bowl to whip the egg whites.

In a clean mixing bowl, add egg whites and cream of tarter. With a whip attachement (or beaters if you don't have a whip), beat egg whites until frothy. Turn up the speed and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar beating well to dissolve the sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Add 1/3rd of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the chocolate. Do not beat or stir. We want to keep as much volume as possible. Add the rest of the egg whites.

Scoop into cups. The mousse will set up in the refrigerator. Garnish as desired before serving.

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Pareve Chocolate Mousse (Kosher for Passover)