Crave Wednesday: Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse

My family history is decidedly localized to the Eastern part of Europe.  So I completely blame my St. Patrick's celebrating on Thatboy and his potentially Irish heritage.  According to his family, they are 100% Irish.  But family history stories, including where in Ireland they were from, and prominent members who were decidedly un-Irish, calls this percentage into question.  We'll go with the fact that he probably has some Irish in his bloodline and use that as an excuse.

He started by coming home Friday night with St. Patrick's Day doughnuts from his favorite doughnut shop.

I started Saturday morning out with a race.  Which meant I wouldn't be there when the boys got up (hahahaha - shame on me.  Of course they were up before I left) so Friday night I prepped their breakfast for Thatboy to give to them.  Green Lucky Charms pancakes topped with whipped cream and Lucky Charms.  They were in heaven.  Or so I heard.

When I got back from the race we headed to Garage Brewing Company, who was having special releases in honor of the holiday. 

The kids are always happy going to Garage Brewing Co, because who doesn't love make your own pizza?  Thatboy and I are always happy because who doesn't love good beer?

My un-Irish heritage isn't the only reason I didn't grow up celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  It's also Thatmom's birthday.  So we usually celebrated that instead.  This year was no different.  After lunch we drove up to her house for a little family birthday party

Since we didn't get our traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner that night, we took a rain check, and I prepared it on Monday night instead.  Which made the holiday seem to last even longer!  I always make corned beef and colcannon, but this year I decided to try my hand on Irish soda bread too.

It came out really well.  As did dinner itself.  We found a new, perfect, family movie for St. Patrick's Day - Luck of the Irish.  And we watched that while we ate.

A more classic dessert recipe would be something with Baileys or Guinness, but there's something about hazelnut seems like it should be a St. Patrick's Day treat.  Frangelico makes this chocolate hazelnut mousse the perfect way to round out the meal.  

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse (From Cooking Light)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups 2% milk

1/4 cup Frangelico

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups fat-free cool whip

2 Tbsp chopped hazelnuts, toasted

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
2. Heat milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge. 
3. Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  
4. Place milk mixture in pan and cook over medium heat until very thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. 
5. Spoon mixture into medium bowl and add liqueur, vanilla, and chocolate, stirring , until chocolate melt.  Place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until mixture is cool, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove bowl from ice.  Gently fold in 2/3 cup cool whip.  
7. Fold in 1/3 cup cool whip.  Cover and chill at least 3 hours.  
8. Top with cool whip and hazelnuts.