White Chocolate Jazz A Butter Cream Mousse Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the white chocolate and cream in a mixing bowl, preferably metal. Set the bowl in a basin of simmering water. When the chocolate is melted, beat the mixture briskly with a wire whisk. When well blended set aside to cool to almost room temperature. Add the butter and beat until pale in color.
• Pour or spoon equal portions of the mixture into each of 4 small ramekins or souffle dishes, each with a capacity of about 1/3 cup. Arrange the ramekins in a dish and place in the freezer. Let stand 8 hours or longer.
• Set aside a dozen or more whole berries to be used as a garnish. Put the remaining berries into the container of a food processor and add the sugar. Blend thoroughly. Put the puree through a fine sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois. Press with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about 1 cup of this sauce.
• Unmold the ramekins. To do this, dip the base of each ramekin briefly in a basin of hot water. Run a knife around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the sides. Shake the ramekin over a plate. You may have to encourage the unmolding with a knife. This mousse is incredibly rich. You may serve 1 mousse as an individual portion, or you may cut each in half crosswise to make 2 round halves. If desired, serve one-half per person. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
• To serve, spoon an equal portion of sauce on 4 or 8 serving dishes. Smear it over evenly. Arrange a portion of mousse in the center. Surround it with berries.
• Serve, if desired, with macadamia meringue triangles (see recipe) or macaroons.

Steps:

• Two days before you plan to serve the dessert, in a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Strain into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the refrigerator.
• In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the white chocolate mixture, and then spoon the mixture (or pipe through a pastry bag) into glasses or chocolate bags.
• Melt chocolate over hot water. Using a thin small clear 4-sided cellophane bag cut the top off to desired height. Un-crease the bag so it stands up and open. Using a paintbrush, coat the inside of the bag well with chocolate. Put in the freezer to set up until very hard, about 30 minutes. Cut the bag a little and pull it away from the chocolate. Store chilled until ready to serve. To serve, fill it with white chocolate mousse then lay it on a plate on its side so it looks like it's spilling over. Garnish it with a cascade of mixed berries and a mint sprig. You can fill it with truffles, too.
• Notes about the recipe: Ganache is a word that we've been seeing on more and more dessert menus. It has a rich, fancy, very French sound, but ganache is essentially just a combination of chocolate and water or cream. Depending on the proportions, the mixture can be used in a variety of ways: as a glaze, a filling, or a candy center, to name just the ways we use it in this book. With enough cream added, it becomes whip-able, and that's the foundation of this white-chocolate mousse. White chocolate is devastatingly popular, but it's also not exactly chocolate. It's mostly cocoa butter, extracted from cocoa beans and enhanced with sugar and vanilla. White chocolate is not the same thing as the "confectionery coating" or "white coating" you see in the market; real white chocolate contains cocoa butter. Note that you'll need two days for making this dessert.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in metal mixing bowl. Place bowl over, not in, basin of simmering water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate melts.
• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook about 4 minutes or to the soft-ball stage (see note).
• Meanwhile, put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and start beating. When eggs are fairly stiff, reduce speed and gradually add sugar syrup while beating. Continue beating until the bottom of the bowl cools to room temperature.
• Pour and scrape melted chocolate into the mixture and blend thoroughly.
• Blend rum and vanilla. Add to chocolate mixture, and beat well to blend.
• Whip cream until stiff. Add about a third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir to blend. Add remaining cream and fold it in. Spoon or pour the mixture into 6 to 8 serving dishes or parfait glasses, and chill until set. Garnish each serving with berries or candied violets or chestnuts.

Steps:

• Stir white chocolate and 2/3 cup cream in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl. Let stand until mixture is cool and just beginning to thicken, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Beat remaining 1 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into cool chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Cover; chill mousse at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)