Everyone loves this dessert. The combination is very interesting, indeed: slightly bitter crepes paired with creamy sour mousse and a punch of sweet and sour sauce. It’s heaven!

We like the crepes to be bitter, but if you prefer a sweeter tone, just add a few more teaspoons of sugar. I tried to use my usual crepe recipe once, and it didn’t work out quite well. So, do make some extra effort to make the crepes specifically for this dessert. The results yield a thinner, softer, wrap-able crepes which don’t lose texture when eaten cold.

For the mousse, it’s best to have Meyer lemons, which are much more juicy and have better aroma. Sometimes we found them sold in Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. If mayer lemons are not available, standard lemons are fine too.

Chocolate Crepes, Lemon Mousse, and Raspberry Sauce

(adapted from Peche de Gourmand)

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

For 8 8″ crepes (you’ll need 6 crepes only, eat the other 2 😉 )
100g all purpose flour
30g cocoa powder
2 eggs
250 ml milk
4 tsp sugar
1 pinch of salt
Butter to cover the pan

For lemon mousse
Zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons (if Meyer lemons are not available, just regular lemons but make sure to have 60 ml of juice)
60g sugar
1 egg
50g butter, cut into chunk
4g gelatin powder
50 ml lemon juice
125 ml heavy cream
2 egg whites

For raspberry sauce
75g raspberry, fresh or frozen
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Direction:

For the crepes: 

1. Mix all ingredients for the crepes, set aside for at least 1 hour.
2. Butter a 8″ non-stick pan, make 8 thin crepes. Cover with a towel and let them completely cool.

For the lemon mousse:

1. Mix lemon zests and sugar in a bowl. Add egg and lemon juice.
2. Use a double boiler to heat the mixture. Stir constantly until thicken.
3. Let the mixture cool slightly, then add butter. Mix until combined.
4. Sprinkle gelatin powder in 50ml lemon juice. Heat in microwave for a few second to soften the gelatin. Add it to the mixture in step (3) and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Whip heavy cream until stiff. Carefully fold it into the lemon custard.
6. Whip egg whites until stiff, and also fold into the lemon custard.
7. Roll the crepes with lemon mousse. Wrap each crepe with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
8. Before serving, unwrap each crepe, and cut into 2.

For the raspberry sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook under low-medium heat until raspberry soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Strain to retain just the juice.

Decoration:

1. Layer 2 pieces of half mousse-crepes on a white plate.
2. Spoon some raspberry juice on the side.
3. Sprinkle cocoa powder. Add a few raspberries or lemon zests if desired.