Chocolate Mousse and Pecan Croquant

Make the Pecan Croquant:

1. Toast the pecan pieces in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
2. Combine the sugar and honey in a medium sauce pan.
3. Cook to a hard ball stage (250 to 266 degrees Fahrenheit using a candy thermometer). Sugar will be very hot. Take extreme care to not spill.
4. Add the pecans, stir, and pour onto a metal sheet pan or tray.
5. Let cool completely.
6. Break and crumble the croquant and place 3/4 in a Food Processor, reserving 1/4 for garnish.
7. Pulse the pieces in the processor to make into tiny bits.

Make the Chocolate Mousse:

1. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler so that the chocolate does not burn. (Or, heat the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave on medium power, stirring every minute until desired temperature is reached.)
2. Heat the chocolate slowly until it’s fairly hot, approximately 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, measured by a candy thermometer.
3. Whip the heavy whipping cream to a soft peak. (Note: You know you’ve reached “soft peak” when you pull out the mixer and the cream will pull straight up, and then gently fall over a bit forming a curl. You’ve gone too far if you’ve reached “stiff peak” if the peaks stand up straight and stiff without any curl.)
4. Fold approximately 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted dark chocolate and mix very quickly with a whisk (use the same pot or bowl that you heated the chocolate in).
5. Then fold in the bits of Pecan Croquant into the mixture of chocolate and whipped cream.
6. Fold this mixture into the remaining whipped cream (use the same bowl that the whipped cream was in). Fold just enough until well blended.
7. Pipe the dark chocolate mousse into a wine or martini glass, filling it about 1/2 of the way.
8. Garnish with larger pieces of Pecan Croquant.