Dark chocolate mousse

Soak the gelatine into a small bowl of cold water to soften it

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (a bain marie), stirring frequently

Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool to 35°C

Heat the whole milk to 70°C

Once the milk reaches 70°C, remove the gelatine from the water and gently squeeze out any excess water.

Stir the gelatine into the warmed milk and remove from the heat

Use an electric mixer to whisk together the egg yolk, 50g golden caster sugar and salt until light and pale in colour

Pour a quarter of the gelatine-infused warmed milk over the egg yolk and whisk to combine. Pour over the remaining milk, whisking constantly until smooth

Pour the milk mixture back into the sauce pan and cook over a medium heat until the mix reaches 80°C, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat

Whisk the milk mix into the melted chocolate, a quarter at a time, until smooth, then set aside

Whisk the double cream to soft peaks and set aside 

Whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer, and when they have doubled in size add the remaining teaspoon of sugar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks

Whisk a third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mix

Fold the next third into the mixture carefully, using a rubber spatula. Finally, fold in the last third of the whipped egg whites

Once combined, fold in the double cream a third at a time

Pour the chocolate mousse into a bowl, cover with a lid and place the fridge to set for a minimum of 12 hours

To serve the chocolate mousse, place a generous spoon of mouse into a bowl, sprinkle with some chopped chocolate flakes and serve with a few Fabbri cherries and a small jug of pouring cream on the side