Chocolate Mousse Cake

 This was my Christmas Dessert.  I loved this recipe for a couple of reasons; I was able to make it a week before Christmas, you can even freeze it up to 1 month!  It looked beautiful and tasted great.  It was also very easy to make.

Chocolate Mousse Cake
(the recipe came from 1998 Southern Living magazine)
Ingredients:

• 3 (3-ounce) packages ladyfingers
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 butter
• 18 (1-ounce) semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (optional) I didn't use
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped

Garnishes: Chocolates leaves, fresh berries

Split ladyfingers.  Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with ladyfingers, placing close together.
Cook sugar, 1/2 cup cream, and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until sugar dissolves.  Add chocolate, vanilla, and, if desired, liqueur, stirring until chocolate melts.  Cool slightly.
Fold in whipped cream.  Pour one-third o mixture into pan; top with half of remaining ladyfingers.  Repeat layers, ending with chocolate mixture.  Chill at least 4 hours. (Freeze up to 1 month!!)  Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours.  Carefully remove sides of pan.  Garnish with Chocolate leaves and fresh berries.

Chocolate Leaves
12 to 14 nonpoisonous leaves (such as rose or camellia leaves)
1 to 2 ounces semisweet chocolate

Wash leaves; pat dry with paper towels.  Melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat.  Cool slightly.  Spread a /8 inch thick chocolate layer on back of each leaf with a small pastry brush, spreading to edges.
Place, chocolate side up, on a wax paper-lined baking sheet; freeze until chocolate is firm (10 minutes).  Grasp each leaf at stem; peel from chocolate.  Chill until ready to use.