Welcome to 2012!

New Years Eve is generally a disappointing night for me.  I rarely have big plans.  This may stem from the fact that as a child I used to always get sick right before New Years and end up spending it with a fever, on the couch, watching Blues Brothers.  I think that tainted my NYE experience early on and I just never recovered from it.


Instead of going out and doing fancy things, I've frequently settled for making a nice dinner at home and drinking large amounts of wine until everything seems ok :) 


This year I went to my parents house where I shared dinner with them and some of their friends.  To finish off a wonderful meal of lobster, I made these Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse with Frangelico Soaked Cherries, topped with a Ferrero Rocher.


NYE may not have been an extravagant night out, but it was a decadent night in.  Here's to 2012 being a fabulous year for everyone!


(No recipe for the cherries, I just cooked some pitted bing cherries, with a little sugar, a little cornstarch and finished it with frangelico).


Chocolate Mousse, (Adapted from What Megan's Cooking)

8 oz of hazelnut chocolate bar, (I used Ritter Sport dark hazelnut chocolate bar) coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups whipping cream; whipped with 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract until stiff peaks form

In a microwave or double boiler, heat chocolate, 1/4 cup water and butter until the chocolate and butter are melted. Cool for 10 minutes.

In a small heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and remaining water. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, about 1-2 minutes. (*It took me closer to 10 minutes). Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate mixture.

Set saucepan in ice and stir until cooled, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into dessert dishes and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

from My Baking Addiction