Make the mousse

1. Add the vanilla bean seeds to the alcohol. Save the pod for egg nog.

   Add two inches of water to the pot and place it over medium heat on the stove. Cut the chocolate into rather uniform chunks, place in the bowl and place that onto the pot. Chocolate can burn even from steam, so medium heat is the way to go.

2. Use the wooden spoon to occasionally stir the chocolate until it is nearly melted. Remove from the heat, turn off the burner, and place the bowl on the counter. Chocolate holds, and makes, its own heat. The rest of the melting will happen on the counter.
   

3. Add the yolks to the melted chocolate and whisk the mix to incorporate the chocolate and add the alcohol/vanilla bean mix.

4. Whip the egg whites in the mixing bowl until firm peaks. That means the whipped whites dip when you remove the whip from the whites.

5. Folding egg whites is a bit of a skill and an art. Since the chocolate mixture is cooling and getting stiff, we will add a small portion of the whites to the chocolate to soften the base and let us incorporate the remaining whites. See a demonstration here.

6. The key to a successful fold is to use a wide blade rubber spatula and slice down through the center of the chocolate and lift and drape the chocolate mix on the spatula over the left side portion of the mix. Spin the bowl a few inches and repeat. Once the whites are incorporated, portion the mousse into the cups, top with plastic wrap and cool overnight.

7. The restraint of a pastry chef comes into play in the folding. I like a few streaks. There is a divided opinion about what is right. At your house, how you serve your food is what is right. The more you fold the less air remains in the whites and the less mousse-y your mousse. So, don’t over fold.

8. You can top the mousse with whipped cream or eat it plain. It is sure to be a hit.