The emperor´s new clothes-chocolate and orange

French week continues at Casa Rosada and this time a pudding.This is all a bit "Emperors new clothes".The pudding is there but parts of it are invisible to the eye.Things are seldom what they seem, and two secret ingredients hide under this sumptuous mousse.
Some people enjoy mousse that is rich in sugar and light in chocolate,while others, I for one, swear by mousse that is rich in cocoa,with robust flavour.Whichever camp you are in the consensus of opinion is that chocolate,orange and liqueur are a ménage a trois made in heaven. 
The original Cognac belongs to the French and was invented in the 17th century.But it was the Belgians who wedded it to the flavour of tangerines and Mandarine Napoleon was born.Tangerines steeping in French cognac , so why not Seville oranges steeping in Bagaciera ( Portuguese aguardente).I decided to combine this chocolate pudding and its hide and seek nougatine,with Casa Rosada´s signature home made house licore - Licore de laranja Sevillana.
Mandarine Napoléon-not tonight Josephine......

Chocolate mousse with nougatine 
and Licore de naranja Sevillana
serves 6
150g(5oz) good quality dark chocolate,melted
2 eggs,separated
250ml(1 cup) heavy cream chilled
40g/ 2 tablespoons sugar

FOR THE NOUGATINE
150g/ 2/3 cup sugar
80g/2/3 cup almonds and hazelnuts chopped
50ml/ 3172 tablespoons orange liqueur
mint leaves and orange zest for garnish
Chop the chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie.
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks
Add the yolks to the melted chocolate stirring briskly.Set aside to cool.
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.Fold it gently into the chocolate/egg yolk mixture.
Beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff or dry.
Add the sugar and continue beating until you have a firm meringue.
Fold gently into the chocolate mixture and set aside.
Prepare the nougatine by cooking the sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat until it starts to melt and turn golden.Pour the chopped nuts into the mixture and stir to combine.
Spread the hot mixture onto a sheet of baking parchment and cover it with a second sheet very quickly rolling it out firmly with a rolling pin until it is an evenly flat wafer.When cool and set break it into small pieces.
Cover the bottom of each goblet with the pieces of nougatine.
Pour the Orange liqueur over the nougatine,filling them about1/4 full.
Fill the goblets the rest of the way with the chocolate mousse:Garnish with mint leaves and orange zest