When I was a kid, chocolate mousse seemed like the most grown-up dessert in the world. My mom used to make it for dinner parties and she'd pipe it into chilled martini glasses and I always felt like a really fancy lady, eating dessert out of a cocktail glass with a tiny silver spoon.

Courtney of Sweet C's Designs and I teamed up to throw a Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner and while we were planning the menu (which Minted was nice enough to supply for us) I knew we had to make chocolate mousse for dessert. This time we served them in little shooter glasses that reminded us of stemless wine glasses and fit in so well with our vineyard/farm-to-table harvest theme.

We paired them with La Crema's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, because who doesn't love chocolate and wine together?

Ingredients: 

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate
• pinch of salt
• Garnish: more heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Slowly heat 3/4 cup of the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. In a metal bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Once combined well, slowly stream the hot cream into the bowl.
3. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla and continue to stir.
4. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler and and whisk the the custard mixture into it until smooth. Allow to cool.
5. Beat the remaining cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold the whipped cream into the chocolate custard mixture to lighten.
6. Spoon the mix into serving glasses and chill for six hours or more. Let stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Top with more whipped cream if desired.

Follow along with our Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner and get full recipes for each dish on Sweet C's Designs, Freckled Italian, and the La Crema Winery blog here:

Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Pomegranate Chevre Salad

Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Ghee

Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Rack of Lamb

Chocolate Mousse Shooters

Fall-Inspired Tablescape with Succulent Centerpieces

Photos by Courtney O'Dell of Sweet C's Designs for La Crema Farm to Table at Home.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

This weekend was packed with those chilly mornings that tell you fall is on the way for sure. My mom was visiting and we woke up early and put on sweaters and socks and drank steamy mugs of coffee on the patio, which is one of my favorite ways to spend a brisk morning. The air smells wet and it's kind of gloomy but still so refreshing--it's everything I love about the changing seasons.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Roanoke for a couple of weeks to help my mom recover from surgery on Wednesday. I'm so glad we live closer now and that I have the time to be there--I don't think I've ever been more grateful for my blog and the opportunity it gives me to have a flexible schedule. I may share more details soon, but until then we would really appreciate any and all positive thoughts, prayers, and general good vibes. My mom is the strongest, most wonderful woman I know and I am so proud to be her daughter and friend.

I still think breakfast is the easiest meal to make Paleo, but casseroles are usually kind of a challenge without bread or cheese. I threw this one together the other day and it worked out really well! It's so nice to make if you're having people over and don't want to do a bunch of cooking that morning.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, diced
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of crushed or chopped garlic
• About 3 tablespoons oliveo il
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• About 10 ounces of Italian sausage (or regular breakfast sausage)
• 10 eggs
• Green onion, for garnish
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions: 

1. In a large pan, sauté chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil until translucent. Add diced sweet potato and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and add to a baking dish.
2. Add more oil to the pan and sauté sliced mushrooms until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add them to the baking dish as a second layer.
3. Finally, add the sausage to the pan and cook until no more pink remains. Season with salt and pepper. Add that to the baking dish as a third layer. (At this point, you could cover and refrigerate overnight if you want to wait to bake and serve.
4. Preheat the oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk the eggs well (season a bit with salt and pepper) and pour over the casserole mixture in the baking dish. bake for 50-70 minutes, or until the eggs are no longer runny. Serve hot and garnish with a sprinkle of sliced green onion.