Red Berry Mousse

A soft and airy red berry mousse with a creamy texture, thanks to the 35% fat heavy cream, perfect to melt on the palate with a sweet acidic balance.
dessert
Ingredients
Servings
12
Measurement units

Recipe 1

  • 500 ml35% cream
  • 500 grsmilk
  • 200 grsfrozen red fruits
  • 20 grsgelatine (about 10 sheets)
  • 1 gotmilk
  • 450 grsfrozen red berries

Recipe 2

  • 250 ml35% cream
  • 50 grsegg white
  • 85 grssugar
  • 10 grsgelatine (about 5 sheets)
  • 500 grsred berries (once sieved)
Nutritional Information

Per serving

Calculated for 12 servings

Calories
146 kcal
Protein
9.2 g
Fat
1.3 g
Carbohydrates
25.6 g

Calculated from reviewed ingredient weights and pinned USDA FoodData Central records.

Step-by-step Guide

Make One Day Ahead

  1. Prepare the dessert one day ahead so its flavors develop properly.
  2. Cover the prepared dessert with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours.
  3. Seal the container well so other refrigerator odors do not affect the dessert's flavor.

Thawing

  1. For a large frozen mousse about 22 cm in diameter, remove it from the freezer 4 hours before serving.
  2. For an individual portion, remove it 2 hours before serving. Take it out of the refrigerator when the meal begins so it softens slightly.

Mousse Overview

  1. Whip 50 g egg white until fluffy; a large egg contains about 40 g white. Mix in 500 g 0%-fat fresh cheese and 200 g sugar. Hydrate 20 g gelatin, about 10 sheets, in a glass of cold milk for 5 minutes, warm gently until dissolved, and mix it into the cheese.
  2. Cook 450 g frozen red berries until soft and strain them to obtain 500 g purée. Make a syrup with 50 g sugar and 100 ml water until slightly thickened, add 8 ml Kirsch, cool, and combine with the purée.
  3. For the topping, gently cook 450 g frozen red berries until soft. Hydrate 10 g gelatin, about 5 sheets, in cold water for 5 minutes, then add it with 2 tablespoons sugar and one glass of water. Stir until dissolved and cool slightly before topping the mousse.

Cookie Base or Sponge-Cake Base

  1. Crush the cookies with a rolling pin or processor into a fine powder.
  2. Mix the crumbs with melted butter until compact and even.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, line the pan bottom with baking paper, press in an even cookie base, bake for 10 minutes, and cool.

Crush the Cookies

  1. Put the cookies in a food processor or a tightly sealed plastic bag.
  2. If using a processor, grind to a fine powder for about 2-3 minutes at medium speed.
  3. If using a bag, roll continuously with a rolling pin until finely crumbled with no visible lumps.

Sponge-Cake Base

  1. Bring the pan to room temperature from the beginning so it is ready to receive the batter.
  2. Whip 62 g egg whites to stiff peaks in the serving dish with an electric whisk.
  3. Mix the cookie powder with 42 g melted butter until pasty, then spread it evenly in the pan. Separately whip 17 g sugar, lemon zest and 40 g egg yolk until thoroughly combined.
  4. Refrigerate the mixture until foamy, for at least 10 minutes.
  5. Fold the whipped whites gradually into the yolks with a spatula, taking care not to deflate them.
  6. Gradually fold in the sifted flour and cornstarch from bottom to top to preserve the air.
  7. Line the pan with baking paper lightly greased with butter and dusted with flour.
  8. Fill the pan evenly with the batter and remove any air bubbles.
  9. Bake in an oven preheated to 200ºC for 7-8 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through.

Mousse Preparation for Both Versions

  1. If using frozen fruit, thaw the berries at room temperature for about 2 hours, until fully defrosted.
  2. Blend the berries to a smooth purée, then pass it through a fine strainer to remove the seeds.
  3. Soak the gelatin sheets in very cold water for 5-10 minutes until fully hydrated.
  4. Whip the very cold cream at medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes to soft peaks. Do not overwhip or the cream may split.

Mousse: Version 1 and Version 2

  1. Add the drained, dried gelatin sheets and 75 g sugar to the milk. Heat in a bain-marie, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves at about 60ºC. Stir vigorously and let cool slightly.
  2. At 60ºC, remove the mixture from the heat and cool to room temperature.
  3. Whisk the crumbled fresh cheese, sugar and berry purée in a large bowl until firm and glossy. Reserve.
  4. Warm part of the berry purée to 40ºC. Remove from the heat, add the drained, dried hydrated gelatin sheets, and stir vigorously until completely dissolved.
  5. Fold in the remaining berry purée with a silicone spatula.
  6. Gradually fold in the whipped egg whites from bottom to top to preserve their lightness.
  7. Finally fold in the whipped cream gradually with the same gentle bottom-to-top motion until smooth.

Syrup

  1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-10 minutes to a light-syrup consistency.
  2. Remove from the heat and cool for about 15 minutes, until lukewarm.
  3. Stir in the liqueur, then soak the sponge cake thoroughly with the syrup using a pastry brush or spoon.

Assembly for Both Versions

  1. Cut a strip of food-safe pastry acetate slightly longer than twice the cake base's circumference so it can wrap around twice.
  2. Put the cake base in the bottom of the pan, wrap the acetate around it twice as a collar, fit it closely, and secure it with tape.
  3. Pour the mousse evenly over the cake base.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours so the mousse sets properly.

Topping: Version 1 and Version 2

  1. Add the cold-water-hydrated, well-drained and dried gelatin sheets to the milk. Stir vigorously for about 2 minutes until dissolved, cover with a cloth, and rest.
  2. Let the mixture cool slightly, add the remaining berry purée, and stir gently for about 1 minute.
  3. Add the gelatin mixture to the bowl of berries and stir for about 3 minutes, until fully incorporated.

Finish for Both Versions

  1. Keep the mousse in its mold and add the topping only after at least 3 hours of refrigeration. To avoid damaging it, pour the topping onto a tablespoon and let it drip gently into the mold.
  2. Return the mousse to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours so the topping sets and the mousse chills completely.
  3. Carefully remove the acetate collar without damaging the mousse.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • It has to be made a day ahead.
  • To fill the cake you need food-grade plastic strip to make a collar that holds the mousse while it sets.
Original recipe
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    Red Berry Mousse | The Catalan Table