If you're wondering what to do with some fresh strawberries, here's a light and spring-y fresh strawberry mousse made without egg whites. All you need are fresh strawberries, sugar, salt, plain gelatin, a little mascarpone or cream cheese and whipping cream. These individual strawberry "mousses" are so good! I had a hard time not finishing the serving while taking photos.

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Fresh strawberry mousse without egg whites

Since it's a strawberry mousse with fresh strawberries, you're going to need a food processor or a blender. A food processor is better because you can use it to chop the strawberries, which is the first step in the recipe. You chop the strawberries, toss them with a little salt and sugar, then let stand to release their juice. You then strain and reduce some of this juice in a saucepan for concentrated strawberry flavor. You'll combine that with a little gelatin, mascarpone, strawberry puree and a final fold of sweetened whipped cream.

A Pretty Simple Fresh Strawberry Mousse

While the recipe does involve some time due to macerating of the strawberries and setting of the gelatin, it's really pretty easy. Plus it's made without egg whites, so you don't have to worry about that. There's quite a bit of straining, which isn't a big deal if you own a fine mesh sieve. I'm sorry that it involves taking out and cleaning the food processor (my least favorite chore), but it's worth it!

Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Mousse

Anna

A light tasting mousse with fresh strawberries adapted loosely from a very old issue of Cook's Illustrated.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Chilling Time 3

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings people

Equipment

1 Food Processor
1 Electric Mixer
1 fine mesh strainer or sieve

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh strawberries
½ cup granulated sugar, divided use
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 ounces mascarpone cheese or softened cream cheese (If using cream cheese, cut into chunks).
1 ¾ teaspoon plain gelatin
½ cup heavy whipping cream, cold

Instructions

Set aside about 4 ounces of the strawberries which you'll use later for garnishing. Hull the remaining strawberries and roughly chop by pulsing in the food processor. You will puree them later, so for this step you just need to pulse to chop.
Put the chopped strawberries, ¼ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Toss strawberries in the sugar and let stand for about 45 minutes to render some juice.
Strain the strawberries through a fine mesh strainer set over a small saucepan. You should get about ⅔ cup juice. Dump the drained strawberries back in the food processor bowl and let them sit for a few minutes while you tend to the juice in that saucepan.
Take 3 tablespoons of the cold strawberry juice out of the saucepan and put it in a ramekin.Sprinkle gelatin on top to soften. Heat the juice that's left in the saucepan over medium for about 8 minutes or until it is reduced to about half or a thick syrup. Keep a close eye on it because it may not take that long. Remove from heat and whisk in the softened gelatin until dissolved, then whisk in the cheese. Set aside to cool.
Now process the strawberries into a puree and strain the puree into the mixing bowl you originally used for macerating. Pour in the mascarpone mixture.
In another bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until foamy. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks just start to form.
Fold the sweetened whipped cream into the strawberry mixture.
Portion between 6 small glasses and set on a tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 4 to up to 48 hours. To serve, chop up reserved strawberries and garnish with chopped strawberries. In addition, you might want to whip and sweeten some extra cream or just use cream from a can.