Confessions of A Wanna Be Cook

Vanilla, Salted Butter Caramel and Chocolate Mousse:

Ingredients For the caramel:

• 1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml ) heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons (10gr) unsalted butter

Ingredients For the chocolate:

• 4 oz (120gr) dark semisweet chocolate

Ingredients For the vanilla mousse base:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar
• 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 Tb (7gr) powdered gelatin, sprinkled over 3 Tb water
• 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream

Directions for the Caramel:

1. Place the sugar and water in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook until caramel in color.
2. Remove from the heat and add the salt, heavy cream and butter. 
3. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

Directions for Chocolate:

1. In a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate until smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Directions for Mousse base:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very pale. 
2. In the meantime, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and the vanilla bean (split open and scraped over the milk) to a boil. 
3. Slowly pour the milk over the yolks, whisking constantly. 
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium low heat and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon (as if making creme anglaise). 
5. Add the softened gelatin and stir until melted completely into the cream. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cooled cream base. 
7. Divide the base into three equal portions (one will stay untouched).

Directions to Assemble:

1. Add a couple of tablespoons of the base to the caramel to lighten it a bit and stir with a spoon. 
2. Gently fold the rest of the allotted mousse base into the caramel with a spatula.
3. Do the same for the chocolate portion.
4. Layer all three parts evenly into dishes or ramekins and refrigerate for an hour.

(Source: recipestap.com)