The world is divided into two groups: mint-chocolate lovers, and the people who make faces at us. Normally, I’d say no problem — more for me! But I truly feel that mint-chocolate deserves a second chance. Maybe you had a bad experience with a toothpaste-y ice cream, but when it’s done right, mint-chocolate is one of the all-time greatest pairings in dessert history.
With this mousse recipe, baker Lucie Franc de Ferriere does mint-chocolate so very right. Lucie now runs an East Village bakery, specializing in stunning flower-covered cakes. But as a child, her favorite dessert was dark-chocolate mousse. “Even back then, I loved the deepest, darkest chocolate,” she writes in her new cookbook, Cake From Lucie (out this week!). “I would daydream about eating it. In my own recipe, I added mint to give it a light, digestive quality, much like an after-dinner mint — my father’s preferred treat.”
The secret to a great mousse, Lucie says, is in the details: very dark chocolate, eggs no more than one week old, and fresh mint. “That’s a must. Mint extracts have that toothpaste-like flavor, and you’ll miss out on the true essence of the herb.” However, if you are staunchly anti-mint, Lucie is way more chill about this than I would be. “You can experiment with other herbs, like rosemary or thyme. Give it your own spin!” I must admit, those both sound amazing. Mousse is never a quickie dessert, but this one is worth the time and egg separating. So, everyone pick a herb, and let’s make some mousse!
Chocolate Mint Mousse
from Cake From Lucie, by Lucie Franc de Ferriere
Serves about 10
1 stick, plus 1 tbsp (128g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 sprigs fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped and stems discarded
7 ounces (200g) dark chocolate*, chopped
Distilled white vinegar
8 large eggs, separated (“Leave them out for an hour, to come to room temperature”)
3 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling
*Note: Lucie recommends using chocolate that’s at least 72% cacao. “That’s what gives the mousse its intense, velvety flavor.”
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat, then stir in the mint. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, pressing on the mint to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the mint leaves.
Fill a medium saucepan with about 1 inch (2.5cm) of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the mint-infused butter and the chocolate, then set the bowl over the pan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the butter. Remove the bowl from the saucepan (careful — it will be warm!), and use a clean kitchen towel to wipe any condensation from the bottom.
Meanwhile, use a paper towel to wipe down your stand mixer’s bowl with about 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar. Wipe all over the surface of the bowl, making sure there are no traces of liquid or fat on it. Fit the mixer with whisk attachment, and add the egg whites. Whip on high speed until soft peaks form (3-5 minutes). In a separate, large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 4 teaspoons of sugar vigorously until pale and aerated (2-3 minutes). Pour the chocolate-butter mixture over the egg yolk mixture, and whisk until fully combined. Add the salt and whisk to incorporate.
Once the egg whites are at soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form (7-8 minutes). (If you’re unsure if the meringue is stiff peak, remove the whisk attachment from the mixer and flip it so it’s whisk-side up. The peaks should point straight up and be very stiff.) Add about one-third of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate and egg yolk mixture, and whisk until incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold with a rubber spatula until fully combined and uniform in color.
Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours, or preferably overnight. (It will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.) When it’s ready, sprinkle each portion with Maldon sea salt, and serve!
Thank you so much, Lucie! And congratulations on your gorgeous new cookbook.
P.S. More favorite recipes, including Natasha Pickowicz’s show-stopping tater-tot cake, and if you’re still in a chocolate-y mood, here’s my Parisian-style chocolat chaud (takes only 10 minutes!).
(Photographs copyright © 2026 by Lucia Bell-Epstein. Illustrations copyright 2026 © Maya Netzer. Excerpted from Cake From Lucie, on sale now from Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group. Copyright © 2026 by Lucie Franc de Ferriere.)
