The Best Dirt You'll Ever Eat! Tierrita Dulce by the Food Network's Daisy Martinez

@La_Daisy

Served in little flower pots, this "sweet Earth" chocolate mousse is a favorite of Puerto Ricans. The Food Network's Daisy Martinez shared her recipe for Tierrita Dulce that is a creative and delicious spring dessert your family will love. As she told Tonia, "it's the best dirt you'll ever eat!" Click on the link below to hear more...

"Sweet Earth" - Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Cookie Crumbles (Tierrita Dulce)

Ingredients

Mousse:

• 1 (12-ounce) bag bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 packets chocolate cookies, crushed (recommended: Oreo Crisps)
• Edible flowers, with stems if possible

Directions

Mix chocolate, espresso powder, rum, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water and whisk until melted. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until you can scrape the bottom of the bowl clean, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into the yolks with a rubber spatula, then fold the egg mixture into the chocolate remaining in the bowl. Set aside.
Wash the beaters and bowl thoroughly and dry them. Whip the egg whites with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until they hold soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Once incorporated, fold the remaining whites.
In a clean bowl, beat the cream until it holds firm peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture 1/3 at a time using a rubber spatula. Divide the mousse among 8 dessert cups. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Put the cookies in a heavy sealable plastic bag. Whack them with a rolling pin to break them up into coarse pieces, then crush them into fine crumbs.
Top each dish of mousse with crumbled chocolate cookies to resemble "soil". Finish with edible flowers. Standing them straight up by inserting the stems into the mousse.