Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars: a nearly flourless chocolate torte layered with an airy strawberry mousse and garnished with white chocolate glaze. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any other time you’re craving something light, sweet, and pretty in pink!
This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
I’m so glad that Valentine’s Day is almost here!
Winter is just so long, and there always seems to be this huge stretch of nothingness after New Years.
But then along comes Valentine’s Day, and now we have something fun to look forward to. I love shopping for funny/cute cards and candy for my kiddos, and planning a special meal for my husband. The best part is all the pretty pink and red! It’s like a breath of fresh air after a long, gray, and dreary month.
Every year I try to share at least one romantic, pink (or red!) dessert. You can check out all my past Valentine’s Day recipes here. Lots of cute and delicious ideas!
This year I was inspired to create these Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars when I saw Ghirardelli’s latest treat: their new Strawberry Bark SQUARES!
I’m sure you probably already know what a fan I am of Ghirardelli chocolate. Their products have inspired so many delicious recipes on this site over the last year. Let’s take a little walk down memory lane…
We kicked off Spring with an easy tutorial on How to Make Chocolate Bark. With three different bark recipes!
Then things got decadent, when we made this Chocolate Caramel Chip Cheesecake…
A nearly no-bake Chocolate Cream Pie came along, just in time for Thanksgiving!
And we ended 2017 on a high note, with these amazing soft Chocolate Peppermint Swig Cookies.
And now we have these pretty layered Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars.
When I saw Ghirardelli’s Strawberry Bark SQUARES, I fell in love. They’re the Ghirardelli SQUARES you already know and love, with a new flavor combination that’s perfect for the upcoming holiday. I just loved the combination of rich milk chocolate, creamy white chocolate, and bright strawberry. It’s the perfect treat for Valentine’s!
They’d make such a nice last-minute gift. Aren’t they so pretty, with the layered milk and white chocolate, and all those little pink strawberry flecks?
I was inspired to create a layered dessert, with the same creamy chocolate and sweet strawberry flavors.
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars were the answer!
With a melt-in-your-mouth, nearly flourless chocolate torte as the base, and a whisper light layer of strawberry mousse, these bars are a perfect ending to your special Valentine’s Day meal.
The strawberry flavor really shines, and it’s like a ray of sunshine to taste sweet summer berries on a cold February day!
Top them with a creamy white chocolate glaze, and garnish with Ghirardelli Strawberry Bark SQUARES. It will be a Valentine’s Day you’ll never forget!
More great Valentine’s Day recipes on my “Holiday” Pinterest board!
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Bars
Ingredients
For the chocolate base layer:
- 7 ounces (198.45 g) Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs,, separated
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (56 g) almond meal
- 1/4 cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
For the strawberry mousse layer:
- 3 tablespoons water
- .25 ounces (7.09 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 cup (244 g) milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped or pureed, (approx. 5 or 6 large berries)
- 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, (from 1/2 lemon)
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- Drop of pink food coloring, (optional)
For the garnishes:
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar,, chopped
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream,, whipped softly with 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 9 Ghirardelli Strawberry Bark SQUARES
Instructions
To make the chocolate base layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, mist a 9x9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray, and line it with parchment.
- Place the Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips and butter in a small bowl, and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring, until melted and smooth.
- Place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and whip until pale and doubled in volume.
- Fold the chocolate mixture into the yolks, along with the almond meal, flour, extracts, and salt.
- Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and whip until they can hold stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, a little at a time.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely, then top with strawberry mousse.
To make the strawberry mousse:
- Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
- Heat the milk in a small pot over low heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl, until pale and doubled in volume.
- When the milk is steaming, pour it into the yolk mixture in a slow, thin stream, while whisking.
- When all the milk has been added, transfer the mixture back to the pot and cook over low heat, whisking, until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the gelatin mixture, the fresh strawberries, strawberry preserves, lemon juice, and salt.
- Cool the mixture to room temperature.
- Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks, then fold into the strawberry mixture. Tint with food coloring, if using.
- Pour the mousse over the chocolate base, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
To garnish:
- Place the cream, white chocolate, and corn syrup in a heat-safe measuring cup, and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the mousse.
- Allow the glaze to set, then cut into bars.
- Top each bar with whipped cream and a Ghirardelli Strawberry Bark SQUARE.
I want to make this for a family gathering on Sunday, July 5, but my stepmom can’t take dairy. I know I can use a non-dairy topping (instead of whipping cream), but can I use almond milk (or another milk substitute) in place of the 1C milk?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but feel free to experiment! Good luck!
Sorry, perhaps I’m just missing it, but I’m not seeing when to add the butter.
So pretty that we can find Valentine’s Day recipes in here! It`s a great opportunity for cooking something special.
Definitely! So glad you enjoyed this post Abi!
These look amazing, as usual!
This is one of the prettiest Valentine’s Day desserts I’ve seen!
I need this for dessert right now!
These are creamy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh my word, there really are no words for how good this is!
These bars look so perfectly fluffy!
These are so perfect looking Allie!