Ingredients

• 30g/1¼oz unsalted butter
• chopped
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
• broken into pieces
• 3 free-range eggs
• separated
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• 1 shot espresso
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• softened until very soft
• plus extra for greasing
• 80g/2¾oz plain flour
• 30g/1¼oz icing sugar
• 30g/1¼oz cornflour
• drop of vanilla essence
• 50g/1¾oz fresh root ginger
• washed
• unpeeled
• finely grated
• 2-3 pieces crystallised ginger
• sliced
• 1 large orange
• peel only
• white pith removed
• sliced into 0.5cm/¼in strips
• 80g/2¾oz caster sugar
• 150g/5oz demerara sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• For the chocolate mousse
• bring a little water to the boil in a pan
• then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the butter and dark chocolate and stir until melted
• smooth and well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until nearly white and thick in consistency.
• Gently stir the whisked yolks into the butter and chocolate
• then add the coffee.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed
• then gently fold them into the chocolate mixture
• until just combined.
• Transfer the mousse to small cups or ramekins and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours
• or overnight.
• For the ginger shortbread
• cream the butter until pale and fluffy in a bowl. Sift in the flour
• icing sugar and cornflour and beat again until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla essence and grated root ginger.
• Place walnut-sized balls of the mixture onto a greased baking tray
• about 2cm/¾in apart (you should get about 18 from this mixture). Spread each ball of the biscuit mixture out slightly using the back of a spoon
• until flattened into biscuit shapes. Top each ball with a slice of crystallised ginger
• then transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes
• or until the shortbread biscuits are pale golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes
• then carefully lift them off the tray and onto a wire rack
• using a palette knife
• and set aside to cool completely.
• For the candied orange peel
• fill a small saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the orange peel and bring to the boil again
• then drain well.
• Re-fill the pan with water
• bring to the boil
• return the orange peel to the pan
• return the water to the boil
• then drain again.
• Re-fill the pan with 150ml/5fl oz of water
• add the caster sugar and bring to the boil
• stirring well. Add the orange peel
• reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer for 15-20 minutes
• or until the liquid resembles syrup
• stirring occasionally.
• Tip the demerara sugar into a shallow bowl.
• Once the syrup mixture has thickened
• remove the orange peel and coat each piece in the demerara sugar. Shake the peel in the sugar until it is completely covered. (NB: Once cool
• keep the candied orange peel uncovered until needed.)
• To serve
• place the ramekins of chocolate mousse onto serving plates. Place one or two shortbreads alongside each. Sprinkle the mousse with the candied orange peel.