Sometimes dessert seems excessive after a hearty meal. But then again, who would think of skipping dessert on a special occasion like Thanksgiving and all those end of the year festivities? If you face such gastronomic conundrum, I am here to help you out. These cute little morsels of mousse are about 2 tablespoons each. Topped with a single cranberry, they are easy to make, festive, and as far as dessert is concerned, pretty light. That is if you don’t inhale four of them…

WHITE CHOCOLATE MINI-MOUSSE WITH SUGARED CRANBERRIES
(inspired by several sources)

makes about 10 small portions, served in ramekins like these

4 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whole milk
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh cranberries (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup water

The day before, prepare the cranberries. Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, boil for a couple of minutes until sugar is fully dissolved. Reserve at room temperature, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the syrup to a bowl and dump the fresh cranberries into it, mix to coat the surface with the syrup. Place in the fridge overnight. Next day, drain the syrup, and add to the cranberries 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Coat them well, then place over kitchen paper to dry for 2 hours. They will be ready to decorate the dessert then.

Make the mousse. Melt the chocolate with the milk in the microwave or in a double boiler over gently simmering water. Add the corn syrup and mix well.  Let it cool slightly while you prepare the cream. Whip the heavy cream until it reaches the consistency of melted ice cream. Add to the chocolate base in three portions, mixing well but gently, you don’t want to deflate the mousse.

Add small portions to very small ramekins and cool for 6 hours in the fridge. Top with the sugared cranberry, and sprinkles of your choice.  Serve straight from the fridge.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These adorable baby-mousses deliver the perfect amount of sweetness when a slice of pie, cake, or even a piece of brownie might seem like overkill. Of course, you could make a regular portion if you prefer.  Instead of 10 individual tiny amounts, make 4 portions for indulging with abandon. What I love about this recipe, apart from its simplicity, is that it uses exactly one bar of Lindt white chocolate. Open it, dice it, you are done. No need to get your scale or anything.

Now, if you want to serve bigger portions, it might be a good idea to add a bit of gelatin. White chocolate does not hold as well as dark. In a very small ramekin it wont’ be a problem, but when scaling up, it’s probably better to ensure some additional structure by incorporating gelatin. I suggest 1/2 tsp for the 4 oz of chocolate, blooming it in some of the milk, then heating it very very gently before adding to the melted chocolate. Proceed with the recipe as described.

I used two kinds of sprinkles with a Christmas feel that went well with the cranberries. Different toppings and sprinkles would be a lot of fun to try to. A dark chocolate mousse with toasted hazelnuts and golden sprinkles? White mousse with silver sparkling sugar, a fresh blueberry surrounded by purple nonpareils? Or how about getting your hands on some Ruby chocolate? I need that in my life. I really do. If you haven’t heard about it, google Caillebaut Ruby. And dream, my friend, dream…

Ruby, dark, white… it does not matter to me. I want them all…

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