These angel dessert cups are the result of our hard work baking for this holiday season. The sweets are made of milk chocolate with salted caramel bits turned into a delicious, egg-free mousse, topped with vanilla bean-flavored cream, salted caramel sauce and an angel-shaped, crisp sugar cookie.
The most amazing part was to see the look in daughter’s eyes. She was mesmerized by the “snow” (powdered sugar) on the angel cookies; I could see a sparkle much like the stars at night, which was priceless. Hearing her laugh with delight brings so much joy to the house, you can almost hear the triumphant chorus of angels. Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!
1. Info for Angel Salted Caramel Chocolate Dessert Cups for Christmas
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 12
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Angel Salted Caramel Chocolate Dessert Cups for Christmas
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 ounces salted caramel milk chocolate (see tips), coarsely chopped
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups vanilla cream (recipe follows)
- 12 angel-shaped cookies (recipe follows)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting
3. Directions:
- Place the chocolate in a stainless-steel mixing bowl. Make a “double boiler” (a pot filled with hot water, covered with a piece of cloth) and place the bowl filled with chocolate on top to melt it. Make sure the bowl circumference is larger than the pot, so there isn’t any splatter of water in the chocolate. Slowly melt, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and add 2½ tablespoons each milk and butter to the bowl. Stir well until the mixture is uniform.
- Whip the heavy cream with salt (at low speed) for 2-3 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar. Increase to maximum speed and keep beating for another 2-3 minutes, until it forms soft peaks.
- Pour one-third of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Mix well, then gently fold the rest of the cream into the chocolate
- Transfer to a piping bag with a round-shaped tip.
- Pipe the chocolate mousse into a mini dessert cup. Repeat with the vanilla cream. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- To serve, complete the decoration with salted caramel sauce, the angel cookie and a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Bon appétit!
4. Tips and advices:
- I used a Valrhona Caramelia 36% baking chocolate bar for the mousse I usually add a little salt to most desserts. Salt brings out the flavors and will enhance the taste of your sweets.
- Little reminder on how to make vanilla cream: In a mixing bowl, combine 2¼ cups powdered sugar, 8 ounces cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter and vanilla beans from one vanilla pod. Use an electric mixer and beat until the texture is smooth and creamy. Add 1 tablespoon heavy cream for a less dense texture.
- Little reminder on how to make caramel au beurre salé (salted caramel sauce): In a non-stick saucepan, melt ½ cup granulated sugar without water over high heat. As the edges of the pan start caramelizing, immediately lower the heat to a medium low. Gently jiggle the saucepan in circles. Do not use a spoon! Lower the heat to the lowest setting when there are only a few remaining non-caramelized pieces. Don’t let the sugar get brown, otherwise you’ll get a burnt taste. When all the sugar is an amber color, remove from the heat, pause for about a minute (be careful of splattering when the butter is added), then slowly add 2 tablespoons butter and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Bring back to the stove and using the lowest setting, pour in ⅓ cup heavy cream little by little . Let the sauce cool down, transfer to a plastic squeeze bottle, and drizzle the sauce over your favorite dessert.
- Little reminder on how to make angel sugar cookies: In a mixing bowl, cream 8 tablespoons room temperature butter with 1 cup granulated sugar. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract). Add 1 egg and mix until well combined. In another bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and 1 pinch salt. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the cookie batter. Mix until combined. Flatten the dough and even it out with a rolling pin to about a ¼”-½” thickness. Don’t hesitate to sprinkle the surface and rolling pin with a little flour to prevent the cookie dough from sticking too much. Plastic wrap the flattened dough and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Using an angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut the cookie dough. Bake the cookies for a bit less than 7 minutes at 350°F until barely golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature. They will harden and get firm as they cool down.
