Coffee Mousse

Michelle loved coffee. A whole pot in the morning, a triple mocha on the way to Curves in the afternoon, and sometimes even some right before dinner. She even purchased a special thermal french press coffee pot for camping excursions. I'm pretty sure that at one point Kyle and I had to give up our coffee pot because Michelle's broke and she could not survive without a functioning coffee pot. The next time it broke (it got a lot of use, remember?) she broke out the old-school metal boil-on-the-stove espresso maker (you know the ones I'm talking about right?). She has four or five cork backed placemats that match her dishes, each of which is forever stained with coffee from years of use as a breakfast tray. See, I wasn't lying when I said Michelle loved coffee. I asked Kyle today for a dessert recipe that Michelle made and loved, and he decided on Coffee Mousse. Make, and enjoy, especially if you have to stay up all night because you have a French test in the morning and have failed to study at all.

Coffee Mousse
Serves 6-8

3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 envelope Knox gelatin
1/4 cup Kahlua
2/3 cup strongly brewed coffee
dash of salt
2 Tb sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tb Kahlua

Beat egg yolks in a large bowl, adding sugar gradually until mixture is pale yellow. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup liqueur and let stand. Heat coffee with gelatin and liqueur in heavy saucepan and beat mixture into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat just until mixture simmers. Remove to bowl and cool.

Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff.

Beat cream with 2 Tb liqueur until stiff.

Fold whites into cooled coffee mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into dessert dishes and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Can be frozen and thawed in fridge.

Garnish with instant coffee or chocolate-covered espresso beans.