The Chocoholic’s Secret Weapon

Q: Try as I might, I can’t resist chocolate desserts around this time of year. Most attempts at making anything “diet” seem futile, since they all taste so bad. Is there a recipe you can recommend that won’t bust my britches, but would still satisfy those deep, dark chocolate cravings? Thank you.

A: We love a challenge (who doesn’t?), so we tackled the ultimate in decadent desserts—chocolate mousse. We knew we had our work cut out for us to lighten up this rich classic.

Here’s what we found: Three chocolates are better than one when trying to save on fat and calories. Semisweet chocolate adds rich chocolate flavor and creaminess, while Dutch-processed cocoa lends intense chocolate flavor. The white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness.

Instead of folding in whipped cream, as traditional recipes do, our recipe relies on fat-free Italian meringue made by beating hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites for a mousse with a billowy, thick texture. Italian meringue is made with sugar syrup, rather than sugar, and is thus more stable. It lends a creamy lushness to desserts without any added fat.

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