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I've been working on this recipe for years now, and I've probably changed the name as many times as I've changed the recipe. I've tried plain old 'Chocolate Mousse', 'Mousse Shots', 'Death by Chocolate', and lots of others, but nothing ever felt quite right. Then one day I took some to a pot luck, and one of the ladies asked me for the recipe. I laughed and told her I get that a lot, and she said "I'm not surprised, they're real showstoppers". I knew right then she'd given them the perfect name.
Showstoppers are a small (1 oz) serving of chocolate mousse. Because they're served in a chocolate cup, they're a finger-food dessert, so they can be served anywhere. But the kicker is the surprise inside: a center of raspberry syrup. I always enjoy watching people eat them the first time....when they take their first bite, the raspberry syrup starts leaking all over their fingers and hands, leading to lots of licking and generally trying to avoid making a mess. In addition to being delicious, they're lots of fun!
Showstoppers are a small (1 oz) serving of chocolate mousse. Because they're served in a chocolate cup, they're a finger-food dessert, so they can be served anywhere. But the kicker is the surprise inside: a center of raspberry syrup. I always enjoy watching people eat them the first time....when they take their first bite, the raspberry syrup starts leaking all over their fingers and hands, leading to lots of licking and generally trying to avoid making a mess. In addition to being delicious, they're lots of fun!
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Signing UpStep 1Equipment
Other than standard kitchen implements, the only thing you'll need to make Showstoppers is the right molding cups. I used to get cheap 1-oz plastic 'souffle cups' at Smart and Final, but unfortunately they (or at least the one near me) changed their supplier and now get higher-quality cups. This is bad because for this application, the cheap one work much better than good one. In the last step, we need to unmold the finished dessert from the plastic cup, which is much easier to do with cheap plastic cups that split easily.
The key to finding the right plastic is that it's translucent, rather than the clear look of the higher-quality plastic. I'm sure it's the same plastic as the cheap translucent beer cups, but I don't know what it's called. I finally had to order these online. These are a little thicker than the ones Smart and Final used to carry, and they don't work quite as well, but they work a lot better than the higher quality ones that are all I can find locally.
One of these days I'd like to find some silicone molds the right size and shape, but I haven't found any yet. They'd be reusable and I probably wouldn't lose any more desserts to cracking.
The key to finding the right plastic is that it's translucent, rather than the clear look of the higher-quality plastic. I'm sure it's the same plastic as the cheap translucent beer cups, but I don't know what it's called. I finally had to order these online. These are a little thicker than the ones Smart and Final used to carry, and they don't work quite as well, but they work a lot better than the higher quality ones that are all I can find locally.
One of these days I'd like to find some silicone molds the right size and shape, but I haven't found any yet. They'd be reusable and I probably wouldn't lose any more desserts to cracking.
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I've tried using cling film, that didn't work very well for me...it just doesn't maintain shape while you're trying to apply the chocolate. Aluminum foil worked pretty well, and I used it once, but it took a long time to peel off of each dessert. Also, I like the very smooth outer surface you get from molding directly in the cup.