Fruit-Filled Dessert: Strawberry Mousse

Strawberry mousse is a light & fresh dessert that has a wonderful, smooth texture and is filled with plenty of sweet, succulent strawberries. 

Making a mousse out of a juicy fruit like strawberries can be tough. The sweet juice can interfere with the smooth texture all while providing a flavor that is far too subtle. to fix this, we processed the berries with a little sugar and salt before cooking them into a syrup. This intensified the flavor while limiting the moisture that got into the mousse. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Strawberry Mousse

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 2lbs strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 4oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cut some of the strawberries into 1/4" pieces until they can fill up 1 cup. Refrigerate until ready to be used for garnish. Pulse the remaining strawberries in a food processor or blender in 2 batches until most pieces are 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Transfer the strawberries to a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt. Cover the bowl and let stand for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Strain the processed strawberries through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Measure about 3 tablespoons of juice into a small cup. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and let sit until the gelatin softens (about 5 minutes). Place the remaining juice in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat, add the softened gelatin mixture, and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
3. While the juice is reducing, return the strawberries to the food processor and process until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the solids to remove the seeds and pulp. Discard any solids in the strainer. Add the strawberry puree to the juice-gelatin mixture and whisk until incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, whip together the heavy cream and vanilla extract and whisk until foamy (about 1 minute). Whip harder until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Whisk the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture until no white streaks remain. Portion into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours. Serve, garnished with diced strawberries.
5. Enjoy!

Chocolate Lovers' Recipe: Heavenly Souffle

When it comes to absolutely heavenly desserts, the chocolate souffle has to rank at the top. It's light, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. Many cooks may be a little afraid of trying a souffle, however. They have a reputation for being temperamental and collapsing in on themselves, but actually with a little attention a souffle can be fairly easy to make.

To achieve the volume necessary in a great souffle, work the egg yolks and the whites separately. The yolk will be the rich base, and then after you fold in egg whites that have been whipped to perfection and are holding stiff peaks. Some chocolate souffle recipes call for milk in the base, but we found that muted the chocolate flavor. Instead, we just used more chocolate and reduced the amount of butter. As a fan of chocolate oranges, I also couldn't resist adding in a little orange liqueur to enhance the flavor. Keep reading below for our favorite chocolate souffle recipe...

Chocolate Souffle

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon softened, the remaining butter cut into 1/4" chunks)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for coating the dishes
• 8oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarse
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 6 large egg yolks
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat eight 1-cup ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter, then coat the inside of the dishes evenly with the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Melt the chocolate and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Turn off the heat, stir in the salt, vanilla, and liqueur. Set aside.
3. Bring the 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Beat the egg yolks with a mixer (or whisk vigorously) and while mixing, slowly pour in the sugar syrup. Continue to beat until the mixture triples in volume (about 3 minutes). Fold the yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture.
4. In a separate bowl, beat or whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks start for form. Add the confectioner's sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
5. Vigorously stir one quarter of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the remaining whites into the mixture until just incorporated.
6. Fill each ramekin almost to the rim, wiping the excess filling from the rim with a wet paper towel. Bake the souffle until puffed and set (30 to 35 minutes. Whatever you do, do not open the oven during the baking or souffle will collapse). Serve immediately.

Decadent Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Mousse

For a great chocolate dessert that's absolutely sure to satisfy your cravings, look no further than the humble chocolate mousse. Its texture is light, creamy, and oh so delicious. Some people might confuse apudding and a mousse, or even pots de creme. On many levels, they are very similar looking dishes, but the real difference is the ingredients. Puddings use a thickener like cornstarch, pots de creme use egg yolks, and a mousse uses whole eggs.

For our recipe, we wanted to focus on keeping the creaminess of the mousse. We used chocolate, eggs, sugar, salt, and just a little butter. The butter actually really helped the creaminess of the mousse without making it too heavy. For extra flavor, add a little vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons strong coffee, or a little liqueur like brandy or rum. Keep reading below for this great mousse recipe...

Chocolate Mousse

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 6oz bittersweet chocolate chopped coarse
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons strong coffee, or brandy or rum
• 4 large eggs, separated and room temperature.
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Whisk the butter into the melted chocolate, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the vanilla, and coffee or liquor until incorporated.
2. Whisk in the yolks one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. Set the mixture aside.
3. Stir the egg whites in a mixing bowl set over a saucepan of hot water until the whites are slightly warm (1 to 2 minutes). Remove the bowl from the saucepan, then beat hard until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, and continue to beat into soft peaks. Whisk a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the remaining whites. Be careful to not overwork the mixture.
4. Spoon the mousse into a serving bowl or individual servings and serve immediately or refrigerate. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
5. Enjoy!