“Windows on the World” White Chocolate Mousse

Since it’s the anniversary of 9/11, this seemed like a fitting recipe to share today. This White Chocolate Mousse has a history. It was once served at the Windows on the World restaurant, located on the 106th and 107th floors of the World Trade Center’s north tower. That horrific day in 2001, 79 restaurant employees lost their lives amongst the thousands of others who died there that day.  

Windows on the World was called “one of the greatest restaurants New York City has ever seen” and “the ultimate destination restaurant” by food critics and journalists. 

Windows on the World served men and women from all over the globe, including heads of state, rock stars and local broadway celebrities, and businessmen and women who came to catch a glimpse at the breathtaking views below of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. 

Windows on the World White Chocolate Mousse, much like the sky-high location of the restaurant, is viewed as a puffy, light cloud of white chocolate floating on a dark chocolate base. One restaurant goer reminisced, “I loved the way the chocolate layers, when sliced, made a perfect little sailboat of mousse.” And like all great recipes with a past, it’s now symbolic of fond memories shared by those who dined at Windows on the World all those years ago.

White Chocolate Layer

12 oz. white chocolate bits

3 cups heavy cream

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin

1/2 warm water

Melt chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. Cool. Meanwhile, whip cream until stiff and refrigerate until needed. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until pale and triple in volume. Soften gelatin in warm water; heat slightly to dissolve. Cool slightly. Add a scoop of beaten yolks to gelatin and mix well. Add gelatin mixture to remaining yolks, beating constantly. Add melted chocolate, one third at a time, beating at low speed. Mix in whipped cream, stirring constantly. Pour mixture into 8-cup dome-shaped mold.*  Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Layer

24 oz. dark semi-sweet chocolate bits

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons Grand Marnier**

Bring butter, sugar, and cream just to the boil. Add chocolate bits, remove from heat, and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool at room temperature for one hour. Then refrigerate until hard– a couple hours. When ready to use, beat it with the Grand Marnier until it has softened.

Add the dark chocolate layer to the white chocolate layer and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set. When ready to serve, place the mold in warm water for 5-10 seconds and invert onto serving platter. An elegant cloud of white chocolate floats on the dark chocolate base.

*If you don’t have a dome mold, you can use a dome-shaped bowl (as I did here) or you can just as easily serve the mousse in a trifle bowl, as seen below. Simply reverse the order you add the layers to the dish, adding the chocolate layer to the bottom first, followed by the white chocolate mousse on top.  

**May use orange juice concentrate or orange extract as a substitute.