50gr (1/4 cup)Caster Sugaror fine white granulated sugar
1 1/2teaspoonVanilla Pasteor extract
1 1/2teaspoonGelatin Powderplus a little bit of cold water
250ml (1 cup)Heavy / Thickened Creamor heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Compote Topping
250gr (0.5 lbs)Strawberriesfresh or frozen
30gr (2 1/2 tablespoons)Caster Sugaror fine white granulated sugar
15ml (1 tablespoon)Lemon Juice
1teaspoonVanilla Extract
Instructions
Strawberry Mousse
Wash, hull then blend the strawberries until very smooth (see note 1 if using frozen strawberries). Place a thin mesh sieve over a small saucepan and pour the blended strawberries over it. Press the fruit through and discard any seeds or larger chunks (see note 2).
Add the Sugar and Vanilla. Whisk then turn on low heat and bring to a simmer.
While the strawberry puree is heating up, place the gelatin powder in a small bowl with a little bit of very cold water (see note 3). Stir then set aside for a couple of minutes until it solidifies and resembles a thick paste.
Remove the saucepan from the stove when it starts to simmer and whisk in the gelatin mixture until completely dissolved.
Transfer into a clean bowl or shallow pan and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Place in the fridge to cool down for 30 minutes to 1 hour (see note 4).
In the bowl of your mixer (or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), whip your heavy / thickened Cream until you reach stiff peaks.
Very gently fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture in three or four times with a silicone spatula.
Pour the mousse into the serving cups then place in the fridge to set for at least 2 to 3 hours - or preferably overnight.
Strawberry Compote
Wash, hull and cut the strawberry in half. Place them in a small saucepan along with the Sugar, Lemon Juice and Vanilla.
Turn on low to medium heat and leave to simmer until the fruits have softened and the liquid starts to thicken - about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how soft the fruits are.
Leave to cool down slightly then transfer into a clean jar and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
When chilled, pour over the set strawberry mousses (preferably just before serving) and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Notes
If using frozen strawberries, make sure they are fully thawed and very well drained before blending them.
You could also blend the strawberry a little bit less and keep some small chunks of strawberries (without sieving them) if you want a mousse with a little bit more texture.
Check your gelatin packet for the required water content to dissolve the powder as it could vary. I used about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon of very cold water. Avoid adding too much water if not required.
The time could vary depending on how deep your container is. The strawberry mixture does not need to be very cool, but it shouldn't be more than room temperature. If the strawberry mixture has started to set when you take it out of the fridge (too cold), simply whisk it vigorously to loosen it.