I have found my new favorite dessert to make during this holiday season, chocolate mousse. This recipe, adapted from the Woman's Day September 2011 issue, has potential for not only mousse, but also pies and bon bons. I wasn't feeling all that spry on the day I wanted to bake, but I still wanted to make something different and special. I decided to go for the mousse, which meant I didn't need the pie crust.

There's plenty of ways to adapt this recipe to make it your own. For example, you could turn the mousse into bon bons by rolling the refrigerated mixture into balls. One of the interesting things I've found about the chocolate mouse recipe is that it calls for ricotta cheese. Let me tell you, the ricotta made this dish pop. I was a bit skeptical at first, but not anymore.

Here's How to Make Chocolate Mousse:

Things You'll Need:

• 15-ounce container of part skim ricotta cheese
• ½ pound semisweet chocolate (baking bars)
• 1 cup of heavy cream (substitute light whipped if desired)
• 2 to 4 serving glasses
• Mixer or food processor

Put the ricotta cheese into a bowl designated for use in the microwave. Set your microwave to high and stir every 15 seconds until heated to the right temperature, this should take about 1 minutes. Perhaps, a bit longer or shorter, give or take. Move the mixture to a food processor or mixture and beat or puree until you have a smooth consistency.

Break up the chocolate bars into chunks. Put them into another microwave-safe bowl. Set the microwave to high and stir for every 15 seconds. Note: I have found that it works best for me when I set the chocolate to melt for 30 seconds and then, every 15 seconds. Use whichever method works best for you.

Move the melted chocolate to your food processor or mixer and puree or beat until smooth. Pour chocolate and ricotta cheese mix into individual serving glasses. Chill the mousse for three hours minimum and three days maximum.

Make the cream topping when your ready to serve your chocolate mousse. Pour the heavy cream into your mixer and beat until the top becomes stiff and forms a peak like appearance. Spoon the heavy cream onto the mousse. Enjoy a rich, delicious dessert that's perfect for the holiday season.