Mousses are a light, foamy and airy pastry product of French origins. They can be prepared in different ways, but they are considered as an evolution of the Bavarian cream.
Mousses can be divided in two types:
- With fruit juice or other non-fruit ingredients: starting from a base of pâte à bombe, whipped egg whites or whipped cream or both are added together with the flavouring ingredients (e.g. chocolate)
- With fruit purées: starting from a base of Italian meringue, the fruit purée with gelatin is added together with whipped cream
The term “Traditional mousse” refers to the old-style preparation method with unpasteurized eggs: although using raw eggs presents some risks for health, many people in the past have survived anyway! 🙂
It is important to note that gelatin is generally needed for mousses with fruit purées, while in other cases it is necessary only if the mousse is going to be used in a dessert that will be sliced.
Bavarian creams differ from mousses in that they are usually made by thickening a custard sauce with gelatin, then folding in whipped cream (not whipped egg whites).
Mousses can be served “standalone” in a dessert cup or used as filling for cakes and Charlottes.
