A note on cold mousses

An egg foam can also be used as scaffolding for cold mousses and cold soufflés. The foam is stabilized when cold congeals fats and gelatin protein. Chocolate mousse is a prime example. Egg yolks are combined with melted chocolate and finely ground sugar and heated to around 100 degrees F/38 degrees C. The mixture is then combined with 3 or 4 times its volume in stiffly beaten egg whites. The cocoa solids and sugar absorbs much of the moisture from the egg whites and the bubble walls are reinforced. The mousse is spooned into dishes and refrigerated for several hours. As the mousse cools down, the cocoa butter congeals into a rigid solid.