Quickie Chocolate Mousse

A great recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson. Appropriate for those who don't want to/can't eat raw eggs, and a hell of a lot less effort as they take as little as a half hour in the fridge to set. This recipe can quite happily serve 4-6, and while it is, yes, AMAZINGLY tasty and chocolatey, and you might want more per person, it is also very very rich, and so perhaps a smaller amount between more people is a good idea.

Also, if you want to be a ponce like me and make them look fancy, you can put them in little tea or coffee cups. I think it looks cute. Although the main reason I did it is because we don't have any ramekins in our apartment. Anyway, enjoy!

Quickie Chocolate Mousse

3 cups/5 oz/150 g mini marshmallows
1/4 cup/2 oz/50 g butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 1/3 cups/9 oz/250g dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup/2 fl oz/60 ml recently-boiled water
1 cup/9 1/2 fl oz/284 ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a saucepan. Place over a low heat, and stir every now and again, waiting until everything is melted before taking it off of the heat.

2. In a large bowl, whip the cream and vanilla extract together until thick, then fold into the chocolate mixture until it is all smooth and completely mixed together.

3. Pour/scrape into ramekins. Chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

serves 4-6

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."- Russell Baker

*Gasps for air*

It's so damn hot!!

Seriously, it's boiling over by 'yer. We're on our fifth day of 35ºC + weather (that's 95ºF + for all you fahrenheiters), and while you might be thinking: "I don't know what you're moaning about! That sounds swell!" consider that there is no beach, a VERY strong sun, very little wind, and that we try not to turn on our air conditioning for fear of the astronomic electricity bill.

In all this heat, there's very little one feels like doing. The heat coming from the computer adds to the discomfort, it's too hot to shop, it's too hot to eat, and it's certainly too hot to do any work for uni! ;) In all this heat, all I want to do is take a siesta, listen to a ridiculously assembled summer playlist and drink gazpacho.

Gazpacho (recipe to follow).

Hope that wherever you are, you're keeping cool.