Caramel-Dipped Popovers with Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate 70% cooled melted (at least cacao)
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 3 large egg yolks 
• 2 large eggs 
• 0.8 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.5 cup heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 10 servings butter unsalted (for pans)
• 0.5 cup cheddar white grated
• 0.5 cup milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• spatula
• muffin tray
• pastry bag

Directions

1. Place chocolate andsalt in a large bowl; set aside. Cook eggyolks, sugar, and 1/2 cup cream in a mediumsaucepan over medium heat, whiskingconstantly, until thick enough to coat aspoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Pour over chocolatemixture and whisk until chocolate is meltedand mixture is smooth.
3. Let cool.
4. Using a whisk, beat remaining 1/2 cupcream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Foldinto cooled chocolate mixture; cover andchill until cold, at least 2 hours.
5. DO AHEAD: Mousse can be made 2 daysahead. Keep chilled.
6. Preheat oven to425°F. Lightly butter 10 cups of a standard12-cup muffin tin or two 6-cup popover pans.
7. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Bringcream, milk, salt, and pepper to a simmer ina medium saucepan; whisking constantly,gradually add to eggs.
8. Whisk in flour, thencheese (no lumps should remain).
9. Divide batter among prepared muffincups, fill remaining cups halfway with water,and bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°Fand bake until popovers are puffed, goldenbrown, and crusty, 20–25 minutes longer.Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.
10. Just before serving, line a baking sheetwith parchment paper and lightly coat withnonstick spray. Fill a large bowl with ice water.Bring sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil ina small saucepan over medium-high heat,stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, brushing downsides with a damp brush and swirling panoccasionally, until mixture turns deep amber.Set the bottom of saucepan in ice water tostop the cooking and firm caramel slightly(this will make it easier to work with whendipping popovers).
11. Working quickly and with 1 popover ata time, dip bottoms into caramel and set,caramel side down, on prepared bakingsheet; let cool. (If caramel becomes toohard while dipping, reheat over medium-lowheat to a workable consistency.)
12. Once caramel has set, mix moussewith a rubber spatula to loosen.
13. Transferto a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" pastry tip.Working 1 at a time, poke holes in tops ofpopovers with pastry tip and fill popoverswith mousse.