Rosemary Chocolate Mousse Cake with Fleur de Sel

Years ago, I came up with a rosemary infused chocolate mousse, sprinkled with just the tiniest bit of fleur de sel. That mousse went on to become a favorite at dinner parties. I made it the night before and by the following day, it was perfect. My guests absolutely loved it. I even shared a version of the recipe in the Valentine’s Day issue of Vriendin, the magazine I write for, last year.
Well, for the past few days, I was dreaming of that mousse. Not as a mousse though, but as a cake.

Yes, recipe ideas often come to me in my sleep. Isn’t that how Paul McCartney came up with Yesterday, by the way? If so, I  guess I’m on the right track.
Anyhow, I scribbled the recipe in my battered, old notebook, purchased the ingredients and went into the kitchen to create this no-bake beauty, which I am just dying to share with you. It has a sensually luscious texture and wonderful herbal notes thanks to the addition of rosemary. Rosemary loves chocolate. And fleur de sel loves sweet. Enjoy!

Rosemary Infused Chocolate Mousse Cake with Fleur de Sel
Serves 8

• 250 g speculaas cookies (or butter cookies)
• 100 g butter
• 150 ml milk
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, plus an extra one as garnish
  400 g extra dark, good-quality chocolate
• 300 ml single cream
• 100 g sugar
• fleur de sel

Line an 18 cm pan with baking paper. Crumble the cookies in a food processor until you have a fine, sand-like consistency. Put the cookie crumbs into the prepared pan. Melt the butter, pour it over the cookie crumbs and mix it in with a fork. The mixture should resemble wet sand. With the back of a spoon, make the layer nice and even. Refrigerate this for at least an hour. Heat the milk with the two sprigs of rosemary and let it steep on the lowest flame for 12 minutes. Melt the chocolate au bain marie. Once the chocolate is melted, sieve the milk and add it to the chocolate while whisking. Beat the cream, sugar and a fat pinch of fleur de sel until it holds its shape and is beautifully soft and billowy. Now add in the chocolate mixture in three batches, mixing well with a wooden spoon after each batch. Take the mold out of the fridge and pour the mousse on top of the cookie crust. Return to the fridge for an hour. Take the cake out of the fridge, garnish it with a sprig of rosemary and sprinkle it with a bit of fleur de sel. Return to the fridge for at least another three hours. Slice with a sharp knife.