The minute thatย I see berries at the farmer’s market, I start daydreaming about pies, galettes, cobblers and crisps to make in the months ahead. The thing is though,ย at 38+ weeks pregnant, I had a craving for dreamy, fluffy, rich Fresh Strawberry Mousse. And you know what they say?? It’s bad luck to tell a pregnant woman “NO,” so I told myself “YES! Make (and eat) as many batches of mousse as it takes to get the perfect recipe.”
When I worked at the bakery in CA, I learned a really easy way to make chocolate mousse: fold room-temp melted chocolate into whipped cream, tada! No eggs or stabilizer required. For this Strawberry Mascarpone Mousse, I wanted to use the same method, but because strawberries are so juicy and watery sometimes, it doesn’t exactly translate. THE TRICK to bringing out the INTENSE FRESH STRAWBERRY FLAVORย is to briefly cook down the strawberries with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. This reduces and concentrates the juices, and ensures a creamy, airy, cloud-like mousse.
I like to use a potato masher to break down the berries because you still get little bits of strawberry in each bite. If you prefer a smoother texture, throw the berries in a blender after they’ve cooked. Also, you don’t usually see mascarpone cheese in mousse recipes, but I love it here because the flavor is superย subtle, it adds richness, naturally stabilizes the mousse, and doesn’t overpower the strawberries (like cream cheese often can).
IMPORTANT TIPS (about temperature):
- Make sure that the mascarpone cheese is at room temperature. If it is cold, it will make your mousse grainy, which isn’t delicious.
- The heavy cream should be cold. Cream whips up better when it is cold!
- After you cook down the strawberries, allow them to cool to room temperature. Adding hot berries to beautifully whipped cold cream will completely melt your mousse, resulting in strawberry soup, at which point just get a straw and go to to town.
I can’t wait for you all to try this! Remember to comment below, and tag your photos with #lionsbread -xo
Strawberry Mascarpone Mousse
A dreamy, light mousse that's the perfect way to enjoy fresh strawberries in the Spring - easy, make-ahead dessert for a dinner party!
Ingredients
- 2 c fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
- 1 c heavy cream, cold
- 1/2 c mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 3 T granulated sugar
- 2 T powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Directions
- Step 1 Place the cut strawberries and the granulated sugar into a medium-sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to thoroughly smash the strawberries. The strawberries should be totally broken down, and juices bubbling away (your kitchen will smell incredible!).
- Step 2 Cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the berries from the heat. You should now have 1 c of pureed strawberries. (If you have more than 1 c, set the remainder aside and add it to your yogurt in the morning). Pour the strawberries into a heat-proof bowl to cool down to room temperature. To speed up the cooling process, place the bowl in the fridge.
- Step 3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the room-temperature mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed for 2 minutes.
- Step 4 Add the [very] cold heavy cream to the mascarpone mixture, and beat on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for about 3 more minutes, until firm peaks form.
- Step 5 Spoon 1/2 c of the whipped cream into the pureed strawberries, and gently fold in, until thoroughly combined.
- Step 6 Then, add the strawberries to the larger whipped cream bowl, and gently fold until thoroughly combined.
- Step 7 Spoon the mousse into 5-6 individual dishes. I like to use small jam jars or souffle cups. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and garnish with fresh strawberries right before serving.
Kerena says
I’m going to make a shortbread cookie and put a dollop of this mousse on top! Can’t wait!! Thanks for the recipe!
LeAnne says
Perfect idea! Match made in mousse heaven ๐