Raspberry Mousse

    Every once in a while I splurge and buy a few new baking gadgets or pans or something. Sometimes they get used a ton and other times they are barely touched unless my toddler pulls them out of the drawer. Don't worry most of the drawers and cabinets in our kitchen have locks this one just doesn't because all that's in there is pans and she can't hurt herself on them. Anyway, this specific mold really only ever gets used for hot cocoa bombs in the wintertime but I felt like they could be used for so much more! I actually bought this mold a while back thinking I'd make way more fancy desserts like this but this is really only the second one! Anyway, in an effort to use this mold more I decided to take a small dinner with friends as an opportunity to make something way unnecessarily fancy but shockingly easy for dessert. 

    There are 2 main parts to this recipe: the raspberry gelatin and the whipped cream. To make the raspberry gelatin I first puree my raspberries and then strain them into a saucepan with some sugar. While that is heating, I bloom some unflavored gelatin that I add in once all the sugar is dissolved into my raspberries. I also like to add some lemon juice and zest into the mix with the gelatin for a little extra brightness. I keep the heat on until the gelatin is fully dissolved before I remove it from the heat to let it cool to room temperature. 

    Once it is room temperature (or close enough to it) I whip up my heavy whipping cream until it has stiff peaks. This is what will give my mousse its signature fluffy texture and structure so it is important you don't under whip it. Next, I take my raspberry gelatin and incorporate it into my whipped cream bit by bit. I make sure to be very careful not to take all the air out of the whipped cream as I mix in the raspberries but I also want all of it incorporated, no white spots. 

    If you do not have a mold like I do, it is at this point you can just pop your mousse into the fridge for 4-6 hours. Another option for serving is to pipe it or just scoop it into individual little dishes before letting it set into the fridge. The options are endless! If you are using a mold of any kind though, I would recommend  that you pop them into the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving so that you can more easily release them from the molds without affecting their shape. I like to just keep them in the freezer for the whole setting time but that is optional. 

    In the above picture I served my domes with a brownie on the bottom and some melted white chocolate to decorate the top. If you are topping with any kind of melted chocolate or even some kind of glaze you HAVE to make sure they are frozen before pouring it on otherwise the warm liquid will affect the structural integrity and you will have a messy problem. The frozen mousse also will help the chocolate or glaze stick to the shape of the mousse a little better by cooling it down quickly and making it so it doesn't just run off down the sides. All in all, this is a super simple dessert to prepare with lots of presentation options and things you can turn it into!

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