National Mousse Day – November 30th

Mousse can be intimidating, but it really doesn’t have to be. All you need is a flavour base (such as melted chocolate or a purée, curd, or custard), an aerated ingredient (such as whipped cream or an egg-based meringue) and a thickening agent when applicable. If you’re feeding any vegetarians, be sure to choose a recipe that doesn’t include gelatin!

Mousses are great for entertaining as they’re usually gluten-friendly, easy to make a day or two ahead of your event and extremely versatile.

Whether it’s a savoury fish mousse or a sweeter dish for dessert, the techniques are relatively simple. The trick is to work quickly when working with these temperature-sensitive ingredients. As with all home cooking, purchase the highest quality ingredients available to you and measure them out before you get started to make sure you don’t miss a step.

Easy Dessert Mousse (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

Ingredients

• 3 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar (to taste)
• 1 cup Nutella or other smooth-processed nut butter
• Fresh berries or chocolate shavings to garnish

Method

1. Measure the Nutella or alternative into a large mixing bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape all of it out of the measuring cup. Keep the spatula on hand for step 4.
2. Pour the heavy cream and sugar into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Ensure the cream is freshly chilled from the fridge as cold cream makes a nicer mousse.
3. Using the lowest setting on either a hand mixer or with the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream for garnishing.
4. Working quickly and gently, fold one or two scoops of the whipped cream into the Nutella until incorporated, then repeat. The more you stir, the more aeration you will lose, so fold only until the streaks have disappeared and the colour of the mousse is uniformly brown.
5. Pipe or spoon the mousse into chilled dishes, then top with whipped cream and garnish.

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