Espresso Chocolate Mousse

I have been wanting to make this chocolatey treat since I saw it made by Giada De Laurentiss on Food Network's show "Everyday Italian". This simple desert was so yummy and rich! The best part was it literally took five minutes to make! You just need to allow a few hours for it to chill and then it is ready to serve. The directions called for a  mascarpone orange zest cream topping but I had to substitute a more simple version due to my lack of ingredients. If you don't feel like making the cream topping just use cool whip! 

Mousse:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 large egg whites

Cream:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

For the Mousse: In a small saucepan over medium heat stir together the milk with the sugar and the espresso powder until the milk is hot, but not boiling, and the sugar is dissolved. Place the chocolate chips in a blender.

*Pour the hot milk over the chips. Run the blender on high until combined, a few seconds. Add the egg whites and run the blenderon high until light, about 1 minute. Transfer the mousse to 4 small serving cups. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 3 hours.

For the cream, simply whisk all ingredients together for a few minutes until the cream develops a "fluffy" consistency. Do not whisk too long though because you will end up with sweet butter! :)

Once your mousse is chilled, remove from fridge, top with whipped cream, sprinkle with chocolate flakes and enjoy!