22 Oct Spooky S’mores Chocolate Mousse Bars

It’s not hard to see why S’mores are so popular. The combination of crunchy biscuits, melted chocolate and gooey toasted marshmallow is all kinds of wonderful! I took inspiration from these glorious treats to come up with a Halloween-inspired dessert. With a buttery biscuit crumb base, rich chocolate mousse layer and ghoulish marshmallow ghost topping, these Spooky Chocolate Mousse Bars have all the S’mores flavour with an extra touch of scary!
I used an easy, egg-free chocolate mousse recipe which contains marshmallows to help the mousse set so that the bars can be sliced easily. Of course, making the little ghosts is the best part (the idea comes from a Country Living recipe I spotted on Pinterest) and requires nothing more than melted white marshmallows and a black food marker or food colouring. Traditionally S’mores would have toasted marshmallow but in this case, I really wanted the ghosts to be bright white and striking. For a non-Halloween version of these bars, you could simply spread the melted marshmallow (make double) over the whole surface of the mousse and toast it with a blowtorch just before serving. Delicious!

Ingredients:

(Makes 15 squares)

For the base:
200g Tennis Biscuits
200g Digestive Biscuits
200g salted butter, melted

For the chocolate mousse:
250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
125g marshmallows (2 cups), chopped
125ml milk (½ cup)
500ml cream (2 cups)

For the marshmallow ghosts:
125g white marshmallows (2 cups)
15ml water (1 tbsp)
a black food-safe marker
OR black food colouring powder/gel and a few drops of vodka

Directions:

• Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin or dish with baking paper, leaving the edges with some overhang to make it easier to lift the bars out later.
• Process the Tennis and Digestive biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Alternatively, place the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until evenly mixed. Press this mixture into the prepared tin, using the bottom of a glass to push the crumbs down. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• To make the chocolate mousse, place the marshmallows, chocolate and milk into a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring frequently until the chocolate and marshmallows have completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Pour the cream into a large bowl and whip until stiff peak stage. Gently fold in the cooled chocolate mixture until it is just mixed through. Pour the mixture over the chilled biscuit base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
• To make the marshmallow ghosts, place the marshmallows and water into a large bowl (the marshmallows are going to expand). Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Microwave for a further 20 seconds, stirring well. The mixture will initially puff up but then collapse. If necessary heat a little longer until the marshmallows are fully melted and smooth. Working quickly, place the mixture into a squeezee bottle or piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle about 3mm wide. Pipe a variety of big and small ghost shapes onto the chocolate mousse. If the marshmallow gets too cold it will be hard to pipe – simply heat for a few seconds in the microwave. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
• Use a food-safe black marker to draw eyes onto your ghosts. If you can’t find one, simply mix 1 tsp of black food colouring powder with a little vodka to make edible paint. Vodka is used as the alcohol will evaporate quickly- using water causes the mixture to soften the marshmallow and “bleed”.
• For best results, use a large, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry (after every slice) to cut into bars,
• Store the bars uncovered in the fridge for up to 4 days.