Gently smoking chocolate is amazing. The fat in the chocolate is receptive to whatever you’re using for smoking–I’ve used cherrywood, hickory, and rosemary in the past. The trick is maintaining those wonderful smoky notes when you take the next step. I haven’t had much luck using smoked chocolate in cakes and cookies, but when you use it in more direct (and concentrated) desserts like pudding and mousses, it can be a delightfully surprising game-changer.
If you don’t have access to a stovetop smoker, no problem, an unsmoked version has long been a family favorite. This is the stovetop smoker donabe I use: https://toirokitchen.com/products/ibushi-gin
Because the ingredient list is so short, the devil is in the details here. Use the best quality chocolate you can get your hands on - preferably in the 60-80% range. I’ve been making this recipe with Guittard Santé 72% Cacao Baking Chips made with coconut sugar. You also have options on the sweetener front - granulated cane sugar, Just Date organic date sugar, and muscovado sugar are all good options. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert, and it’s best when you make it a day ahead of time. You need a bit of time for the mousse to set. Lastly, as noted below, this recipe does feature raw egg*. The standard disclaimer recommends children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with an immune system disorder should avoid eating uncooked eggs because of salmonella risk.