Dudes! I'm late for Donna again!

Jeez.. I hope this pattern of tardy entries to HHDD doesn't continue any longer! I apologize for being late, Helene my love! So yes, it's that time again and this is my second submission for a Hay Hay It's Donna Day event! This month's host is one of my closest and dearest friends, Helene of Tartelette - she is the incredibly talented winner of last month's HHDD with her dreamy Pillow Cheesecake with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce. *swoon* This month it's her turn to host this popular event and she's chosen mousse as the theme. I am especially happy over this because I heart mousse but have never made it before. What a simple dessert to make that yields such creamy, rich rewards. But you'd never know just how easy making mousse is if you were to have witnessed me trying to decide which flavor to make this past month! Ohhh and then when I decided exactly what I wanted (Thursday NIGHT)? I didn't have the damn ingredients! I ended up writing Helene and begging her to allow me to slip my entry in a day late.. why do I stress over things like this so much? Is it my extreme dorkiness? Is it the pressure to live up to what Donna would approve of? After all she is the Australian equivalent to The Martha and we all know how I love The Martha. Shhhh you haters! :) I don't know what the reason is, but I am quite relieved now that my mousse has been decided upon, shopped for and finally made. WOOO! And I gotsta say.. I'm quite delighted with the results.. and it's too bad that Hubbs went on a overnighter with his brother this evening, because it's highly doubtful there will be any left come tomorrow evening when he returns. So much for behaving for my diet*! I am weak.. especially when it comes to the most amazing tasting caramelized banana mousse covered in the most decadent dark chocolate mousse I've ever had.. Let's start from the bottom, shall we? Caramelized Banana Mousse - ripe bananas sliced and bathed in a hot buttery caramel sauce until they are warmed through and soft, the caramel is so silky and the bananas melt in your mouth. It's a miracle that there were enough caramelized bananas left for the mousse as I had an extremely hard time walking away from taste testing - you know, for quality control? Mmm hmm.. After that luscious component of my double layered dessert was finished and tucked away into my fridge to set, I began preparing the Deep Dark Chocolate Mousse. Not your ordinary chocolate mousse, kids.. No, this mousse uses 12 ounces of fine semi-sweet chocolate. TWELVE. It is without a doubt and unarguably the deepest, darkest, richest chocolate mousse I have ever had. This mousse will stop you in your tracks. Most definitely THE chocolate lovers answer to a quick and easy way to get your fix. Two equally decadent mousses paired together for one phenomenally creamy, rich and luscious dessert. Deep Dark Chocolate Covered Caramelized Banana Mousse Both recipes found on a new recipe collection site I've found called Food Down Under Caramelized Banana Mousse 2 TBS. butter 1/2 c. brown sugar 2 c. sliced bananas 1/2 c. plain yogurt 2 egg yolks 1/3 c. sugar 1 pkt. unflavored gelatin 4 oz. orange juice 3 c. whipping cream 3 TBS. sugar 2 egg whites Melt butter in nonstick frying pan. Add brown sugar and bananas. Saute bananas until they are well coated and soft. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Add yogurt and puree with bananas in blender. Beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in stainless steel bowl over hot water bath or top half of double boiler until mixture lightens in color and becomes fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add gelatin that has been softened in orange juice to egg mixture and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and combine with banana puree, mixing thoroughly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whip cream and 3 TBS. sugar into soft peaks. Beat egg whites until they form firm peaks (make sure you don't whip them until they are dry. You want firm peaks but still slightly wet). Fold 2/3 of the whipped cream (reserving 1/3 for garnish - Or if you are going to do the double layer mousse, I used the remaining whipped cream in the chocolate mousse.) into the chilled banana puree. Fold in egg whites. Chill for 4-6 hours. Serves 6-8. Deep Dark Chocolate Mousse 12 oz. top-quality semi-sweet chocolate 1 c. whipping cream 1/4 c. hot coffee 1/4 c. hot water 3 egg yolks, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 5 egg whites 1/3 c. sugar Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Keep an eye on it, stirring often, to make sure chocolate does not burn or seize, then take it off the heat immediately. Whip the cream and set aside. Pour the hot coffee and hot water slowly into a bowl with the egg yolks, whisking briskly as you go until completely mixed. Add the vanilla to the egg yolks. Whisk in the melted chocolate. Keep whisking even after the mixture is completely combined, this will help to cool the chocolate. Whip the egg whites and the sugar until peaking but not dry. Fold the egg-white meringue into the chocolate mixture carefully with a wooden spoon. Fold in the whipped cream. The key to a great chocolate mousse is that you can't incorporate hot melted chocolate into whipped cream. The chocolate mixture must be cool to the touch or the cream will break. Lightly blend the two mixtures until uniform. Chill for 4-6 hours. Once both mousses are set, simply layer them, banana first - chocolate on top, into decorative bowl or glass / cup. Serves 4-6. As always, I'd like to thank the beautiful host of this month's HHDD - Helene! Also I'd also like to give a shout out to Barbara of Winos and Foodies for she is the creative genius behind the Hay Hay it's Donna Day! event, started wayyyy back in October of 2005. Thanks Barbara! And before I get into my notes on the recipes, I'd also like to make mention for anyone who is not aware of Barbara's LIVESTRONG Day event: "A TASTE OF YELLOW is your chance to participate in LIVESTRONG Day by doing what food bloggers do best - bake. LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation's (LAF) grassroots advocacy initiative to unify people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about cancer survivorship issues on a national level and in local communities across the country. LIVESTRONG Day 2007 will occur on Wednesday, May 16." What say we all participate in this event to show our support of such a worthy cause! *I should have made this tomorrow - the very last day of submissions, so I could take the bulk of it to work the next day. As it is right now, my fridge is calling me in this sing-songy voice that is totally mesmerizing and completely obliterating my will-power to stay away from the bad (no, the OH SO GOOD) food.. to succumb to the overwhelming desire to sit on the floor in front of the fridge with a spoon in one hand and a bowl of mousse in the other, until all evidence of such debauchery has been eliminated. My. God.