Eat like a girl: Chocolate mousse with honeycomb

I made this really simple and delicious recipe obsessively when I was younger.

As there are only two ingredients in the mousse, make sure you use really good chocolate and really good eggs - you will taste the quality.

The honeycomb is also easy but takes care. Do invest in a sugar or jam thermometer and watch it. If it looks like it is burning, take it off the heat. Use a high-sided pan because when you add the bicarb, the sugar will go crazy and rise a lot. This is also the phase when you are most likely to burn yourself, so do take care Serves 6

For the mousse

180g best dark chocolate
6 eggs, separated

For the honeycomb

Light oil, for the tin
300g white sugar (caster or granulated)
200g golden syrup
1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
2 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda

First, the honeycomb. Prepare a tin or heatproof dish by lining with lightly oiled baking parchment. Heat the sugar, syrup, 100ml water and vinegar until it turns amber and reaches 150°C (the "hard crack" stage). Add the bicarb, stir well, then pour into your lined tin. Leave to cool. If you want it to be cut into ordered shapes, cut with an oiled knife when it's nearly at room temperature. I like it to look a little rough and tumble, so cut it when it's cool.

For the mousse, break the chocolate into squares and melt gently. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff.

Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks (they will cook if you keep them on the heat; you don't want scrambled egg in your mousse). When combined, gently add the egg whites, taking care not to knock out any of the air you have whisked in. Don't worry too much if it doesn't look very moussey yet, it will be lovely when it's set. Pour into serving glasses and leave in the fridge for two hours. Serve with honeycomb shards on top.

Recipe taken from Comfort and Spice by Niamh Shields (£14.99, Quadrille)