Description
Classic French Vanilla Mousse is a light, fluffy, and luxurious no-bake dessert made with a vanilla custard base and stabilized whipped cream. This mousse features a delicate vanilla bean flavor and a smooth, airy texture. Perfect served chilled in cups with fresh berries, it is a gluten-free dessert that offers elegance with simplicity.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Custard
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl. oz.) whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz.) whipping cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons plain gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Separate Eggs: Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside the whites for another use or discard them.
- Mix Egg Yolks with Sugar and Cornstarch: Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and free of lumps. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if the mixture is too thick to stir easily.
- Prepare the Vanilla Milk: Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add both seeds and pod into a small pot, pour the milk over, and heat until steaming.
- Temper the Egg Mixture: Slowly pour some of the hot vanilla milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to gently raise the temperature of the eggs.
- Cook the Custard: Return the egg mixture to the pot and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly until thickened and it bubbles enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain and Chill: Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked bits and vanilla pod pieces. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent skin and refrigerate for 2-4 hours until fully chilled and set.
- Bloom the Gelatin: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it absorb for 5-10 minutes.
- Whip the Cream: Pour whipping cream into a chilled bowl and whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Melt the Gelatin: Gently heat the bloomed gelatin in the microwave or over low heat until melted but not hot.
- Incorporate Gelatin into Cream: While whipping the cream on medium speed, slowly drizzle the melted gelatin into the cream. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form and gelatin is fully incorporated.
- Combine Custard and Whipped Cream: Stir about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the chilled custard to lighten it, then fold this mixture gently but thoroughly into the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula until fully combined without deflating the mousse.
- Chill the Mousse: Spoon or pipe the mousse into serving cups or bowls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set and firm.
- Serve: Garnish the mousse with fresh berries, finely chopped fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, shaved chocolate, or a sprig of fresh mint before serving.
Notes
- Use whole milk for richer custard; lower fat milk will work but results in less luxurious texture.
- Ensure eggs are cold to make separation easier and reduce risk of cooking during tempering.
- Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for vanilla bean if preferred.
- The gelatin stabilizes the whipped cream, preventing it from deflating and keeping the mousse airy longer.
- Plastic wrap placed directly onto the custard prevents a skin from forming.
- Serve mousse chilled and keep refrigerated until just before serving to maintain its light texture.
- Egg whites can be saved for other recipes such as pavlovas or meringues.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: vanilla mousse,classical mousse,vanilla dessert,no bake dessert,french dessert,light dessert,gluten free dessert
