Chocolate Mousse

This is how you make Chocolate Mousse, the best dessert ever. (And it's so easy to do that I can do it.)

(1) What You’ll Need

2 tablespoons (or 2/3 of a package) of unflavored gelatin (Knox)
1 can (15 oz.or so) unsweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand)
3 squares of unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cognac [optional]
3 eggs (separated)

(2) What You Do

· Soften the gelatin in ¼ cup of cold water
· In a double boiler, over boiling water -- boil water in a saucepan & put another metal bowl on top of it -- heat the milk and the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and thick [10 minutes or so]
· Slowly add ½ cup water to the mixture -- and keep stirring -- until the mixture is smooth [another five minutes or so]
· In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth; then add a little of the hot chocolate mix to them. Put the yolks into chocolate/milk & cook until smooth and thick [another 5 minutes]
· Remove from the heat; add the vanilla, gelatin & cognac
· Beat the egg whites to a froth. [You can do this by hand, but an electric mixer makes it a helluva lot easier.] When the whites peak, fold them into the chocolate mix.
· Put the mousse in a lightly greased 5-cup mold (if you don’t have a five-cup mold, put it in a bowl it won’t overflow), and refrigerate it for three hours or until firm.
· Unmold and enjoy (with or without whipped cream).