Strawberry Mousse
This fluffy, tangy, fruity mousse works equally well on its own or as part of a grander dessert. Try it as crepe fillings, to top a cake, stuffed inside cream puffs, or layered up with graham crackers and topped with chocolate ganache, like we do with Eclair Dessert. Once you grasp the basics of creating a fruit-based mousse, you can try all kinds of fruits instead of strawberries--raspberry, peach, mango, pear, or a combination of your favorites are all delightful.
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled. If frozen, thaw and drain them.
- 1/4-1/3 cup sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 lime or 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries, for extra strawberry power
- 1 packet (2 1/2 TBSP) unflavored gelatin, such as Knox brand
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (as measured before whipping)
- caviar of 1 or 2 vanilla beans
Measure the 1/4 cup cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let it bloom on the counter 5 minutes.
Add strawberries, sugar, citrus zest and juice, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth. For extra smoothness, run the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
Pour about half the strawberry sauce and all the bloomed gelatin into a microwave safe dish. Microwave 1-2 minutes, until it begins to steam and the gelatin thoroughly dissolves. Add this mixture back to the rest of the strawberry sauce and blend or stir together. Leave this on the counter for a few minutes--don't refrigerate too long; you don't want the gelatin to set yet!
Whip the heavy whipping cream and the caviar of 1 or 2 vanilla beans until medium stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the strawberry sauce in a large, cold bowl. Transfer to serving cups, or chill covered in plastic wrap or a lid for 2-12 hours. Enjoy however you want!