I Collect Moose (and Mousse)

No, really, I do. I used to collect penguins, but since moving to the great American wilderness and having elk, deer, coyote, and cougar walk through my back meadow, I seem to have shifted over to admiring a different ecosystem now. I have become entranced with moose. So, now I collect them. I have moose mugs, moose Christmas decorations, stuffed toy moose (we're not talking taxidermy here like a toy poodle), carved wooden moose,... well, you get the picture.

Hint to gift-givers: If you're ever at a loss as to what to give me, you can never go wrong with a moose. Or MOUSSE for that matter. I love that, too.

Chocolate, caramel, marionberry, ginger, pumpkin, mango, and likely any other kind you could dream up. Light and rich at the same time. Smooth and satisfying. So wonderful! Some mousse recipes use raw egg; others don't. So I decided to include a recipe of each. Some mousse recipes use a ganache base; others use a straight chocolate base. So, again, in this post I'll include one of each.

White Chocolate Mousse with Sweet Berries
1 C white chocolate ganache

3 large eggs, separated - at room temperature
pinch of cream of tartar

1 Tbsp sugar
1 C heavy cream
4 C assorted fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.
6 macaroon cookies, crushed (for garnish)

Melt the ganache in a microwave in 30-second intervals. Don't worry if the ganache separates. It'll come back together when you add the eggs. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the egg whites until they are frothy and large bubbles appear. Add the cream of tartar. Continue to whip until soft peaks form. The peaks should barely hold their shape. Slowly add the sugar, beating as you go. Take about 30 seconds or so to add all the sugar into the egg mixture. Whip until the mixture reaches medium peaks. Set aside. It is very important that you do NOT beat the whites until stiff peaks form. The whites will be too dry at this stage and you will not be able to fold in the remaining ingredients without losing the form of the mousse.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it reaches soft peak stage. Then refrigerate it while you continue with the recipe. Whisk the egg yolks by hand and pour them into the warm ganache. Stir them together. Now gently fold in the egg whites, using a wide rubber spatula. It's okay if some lumps remain. When you add the cream, they will incorporate into the mixture. Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and very gently fold it into the mousse mixture.

Pour the mousse into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least one hour. Just before serving, top each serving with assorted berries (I used blackberries and raspberries). Crush the macaroons and sprinkle the crumbs on top of the berries and mousse. Serve.

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 2 oz semi-sweet solid chocolate, chopped into small pieces)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)
chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)

In a medium bowl heat the chopped chocolate, the 2 tablespoons heavy cream and the syrup in the microwave at 30 second intervals, whisking in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the remaining cream, powdered sugar, almond, and vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixture until soft peaks form. Remove 1/2 cup of the whipped cream and beat it into chocolate mixture by hand until well blended. Now transfer the chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped cream and carefully fold it in until no white streaks remain.

Divide into serving dishes and chill for at least one hour. Garnish with raspberries and chocolate shavings, if desired. Makes four servings.