Chocolate Terrine with Raspberry Sauce

Chocolate Terrine with Raspberry Sauce is the perfect option for an elegant chocolate dessert to add to your holiday table! This sublime chocolate terrine is the perfect option. 

This Chocolate Mousse Terrine is ideal for the holidays, dinner parties and special family gatherings. It makes a stunning presentation served on top of a vibrant, sweet raspberry sauce. 

Why You Must Make

If your family is anything like mine, they demand a chocolate dessert on each holiday. On Thanksgiving, a French silk pie joins the pumpkin. On Easter, a fudge lamb accompanies the layer cake or mousse. Christmas is up for grabs…and I have a feeling this chocolate terrine will be requested again.

• It’s rich and chocolaty!
• A simple sauce makes it holiday-worthy.
• It can be made the day before so you’re not fussing with dessert while finishing up the rest of the menu.

Today, I’m joining a group of 14 bloggers each highlighting a recipe that would be a marvelous addition to your Thanksgiving buffet. My contribution is this exquisite silky-smooth Terrine. Scroll down to see all their recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Making this Terrine Dessert

•  If you’re going to unmold it, make sure to line your loaf pan with plastic wrap.
• Use pasteurized eggs if serving to at risk guests including the very young, very old or immunocompromised. Uncooked eggs are in this mousse recipe.
• There is no substitute for the eggs as they provide both the silky texture and the lightness for this mousse.
• If your terrine is too soft to cut, place it in the freezer for an hour or two to allow it to firm up.

You may be squeamish when you realize this dessert contains raw eggs. We all need to be aware of foodborne illnesses, but there are ways to make terrific desserts like this without the risk of salmonella.

Have you heard of Safest Choice eggs? Check your market for availability. You’ll need it for your  Christmas eggnog (but not your Eggnog Scones!), French silk pies, meringue toppings, and more. These eggs are pasteurized therefore eliminate chances of exposure to salmonella bacteria. Uncooked eggs are essential to creating the velvety texture of this dessert. It’s worth the effort to find pasteurized eggs, so young and old alike can enjoy this holiday treat.

PRO-Tip: I’ve pasteurized eggs at home. It requires you keep your eggs in water at 140-142º for 3 minutes which is long enough to kill any salmonella bacteria that could be lurking on or in the eggs.

Culinary Lesson: How to Fold

If you know how to “fold,” you can make this terrine. Folding is the gentle process of combining one fluffy mixture into a more dense one. The goal is to not deflate the fluff (in this case the egg whites, then the whipped cream) too much so the dessert stays somewhat light.

1. Use a large rubber spatula and start by “cutting” through the middle following this process: down, across the bottom of the bowl, then up and fold over.
2. Then repeat and repeat, rotating the bowl as needed, until the mixture is homogeneous.
3. This means the mixture is all one color, and in this recipe, the batter looks chocolaty without any white streaks.

This ambrosial chocolate mixture is poured into a plastic-wrapped loaf pan and chilled. To serve, a hot knife cuts through the chocolate with ease. Garnish as you like. I know you’ll swoon with your first, second, and all subsequent bites!

Thanksgiving Menu Inspiration

I’m so glad you stopped by! First off we are having a Traditional Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner Blog Hop Style. Plus, here are some of my other favorite Thanksgiving Recipes:

Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi Soup with Spiced Walnuts | by Frugal Foodie Mama

Goat Cheese Trio | by From Valerie’s Kitchen

Flavor Injected Herb Roasted Turkey | by Yours and Mine are Ours

Easy Homemade Gravy | by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Thanksgiving Stuffing | by Garnish and Glaze

Raspberry Cranberry Sauce Recipe | by Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Pecan Streusel | by Carlsbad Cravings

Cracker Barrel Copycat Country Style Green Beans | by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Fresh Green Beans with Prosciutto | by The Foodie Affair

Pumpkin Rolls | by That’s My Home

Apple Almond Loaf | by The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch

Chocolate Terrine with Raspberry Sauce | by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Ingredient Notes:

• Butter – I use salted as salt is a flavor enhancer, even in desserts. The amount in butter will not make the dessert salty. I also add a wee bit of salt to the chocolate mousse mixture.
• Semisweet Chocolate – I recommend Ghirardelli bars. They’ll melt better than chocolate chips, which can be used in a pinch.
• Instant Coffee – Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. It may be omitted if that’s your preference.
• Powdered Sugar and Cocoa Powder – Sift to remove any lumps
• Extra Large Eggs – Separate when cold as the yolks are less likely to break. Make sure the 3 egg whites you reserve aren’t contaminated with any yolk or they won’t whip properly. Note: the eggs will not be cooked so use pasteurized eggs if you have access or else use caution if serving this to the elderly, very young or anyone with a compromised immune system.
• Heavy Cream – Should be at least 36% butterfat to whip properly.
• Kahlua – a coffee liqueur. As noted above coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, plus alcohol is a flavor enhancer as well. This is optional or you may use another liqueur that would complement chocolate like Grand Marnier (orange).
• Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract, never imitation.
• Lemon Juice – Never use the bottled juice on the grocery store shelves, always freshly squeezed for the best flavor.

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This recipe was first shared in November 2014. Text and photos were updated in 2021.

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The Recipe:

Chocolate Terrine with Raspberry Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 10 servings

A rich and silky chocolate terrine perfect for a special occasion dessert. Adapted from Ina Garten's Dark Chocolate Terrine with Orange Sauce from Make It Ahead.

Ingredients

Terrine

Raspberry Sauce

• 1 12 ounce bag frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon water
• Sweetened whipped cream, berries, mint to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Spray 8 1/2 x 4 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Carefully line pan with plastic wrap, trying to avoid any large wrinkles. Place pan in freezer while prepping the terrine.
2. Place butter, chocolate, and instant coffee in a large microwave-safe bowl. Gently microwave at 30-second intervals, stopping and stirring frequently, till mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Whisk in powdered sugar till combined, then cocoa powder. Whisk in egg yolks, Kahlua, and a pinch of kosher salt. Let mixture cool for 15 minutes.
4. Using electric mixer whip egg whites and sugar to firm peaks. Carefully fold whipped whites into the chocolate mixture with rubber spatula.
5. Add cream to the same mixing bowl as used for the egg whites and whip to firm peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture, then scrape into loaf pan.
6. Smooth top with an offset spatula and fold end plastic wrap over the top of the chocolate. Chill for 4 hours or longer.
7. To make the raspberry sauce, heat 2 cups of the frozen raspberries in a saucepan with lemon juice and sugar, stirring occasionally.
8. When bubbling, add in cornstarch mixture and bring to boil.
9. Cook for a minute, then remove from heat to cool. Press sauce through a wire mesh strainer to remove seeds. Store in refrigerator.
10. To serve, unwrap the plastic from the top of the terrine, flip onto a serving plate, and use plastic to help remove the terrine from the pan.
11. Slice terrine with a hot, dry knife and place on dessert plates. Garnish with a drizzle of raspberry sauce, whipped cream, berries, and mint, if desired.

Notes

Total time does not include chilling times.

If you find your terrine too soft to slice, place it in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then slice.

Ina uses extra-large eggs in her recipe so I added one extra egg yolk since I use large eggs (9 large egg yolks instead of 8 extra-large). If you'd like, you can use 8 extra-large eggs and 3 extra-large egg whites.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 548Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 5gSugar: 44gProtein: 6g