Mousse

Mousse
Chocolate mousse garnished with ground cinnamon
CourseDessert
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsWhipped egg whites or whipped cream, chocolate or puréed fruit
VariationsChocolate, vanilla, strawberry, choco vanilla etc.

A mousse (/ˈms/; French: [mus]; "foam") is a soft prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. Depending on preparation techniques, it can range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick. A mousse may be sweet or savoury.[1]

Sweet mousses are typically made with whipped egg whites, whipped cream,[2] or both, and flavored with one or more of chocolate, coffee, caramel,[3] puréed fruits, or various herbs and spices, such as mint or vanilla.[4] In the case of some chocolate mousses, egg yolks are often stirred into melted chocolate to give the final product a richer mouthfeel. Mousses are also typically chilled before being served, which gives them a denser texture. Additionally, mousses are often frozen into silicone molds and unmolded to give the mousse a defined shape. Sweetened mousse is served as a dessert or used as an airy cake filling.[5] It is sometimes stabilized with gelatin.[6][7]

Savoury mousses can be made from meat, fish, shellfish, foie gras, cheese, or vegetables. Hot mousses often get their light texture from the addition of beaten egg whites.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Mousse" Archived 2016-12-29 at the Wayback Machine. Food Network Food Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Prosper Montagné, Larousse Gastronomique, 1961 (English translation of 1938 French edition), p. 630
  3. ^ "Caramel & White Chocolate Mousse Recipe". VideoCulinary.com. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  4. ^ "How to prepare Mousse".[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Silky mousses with a stable structure: a few tips and tricks -". Quescrem. 2019-11-29. Archived from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  6. ^ Hyman, Gaston (1977). Hyman, Phillip; Hyman, Mary (eds.). Lenôtre's Desserts and Pastries (1st ed.). Woodbury, New York: Barrons Educational Series Inc. p. 78. ISBN 978-0812051377.
  7. ^ "Paris Confidential: The Mystery Mousse Behind The Chocolate Bar". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-10-05.