These Orange Mousse Cups are a deliciously light, fluffy and fresh dessert. They are easy to prepare with 4 ingredients only and perfect for a dinner party or special occasion.
3/4teaspoonGelatine Powder (*)+ 1 tablespoon cold water
2teaspoonOrange Zest
Orange Whipped Cream (optional)
120mlThickened / Heavy Creammin. 30% fat content
20grIcing Sugar
1teaspoonOrange Zest
Instructions
Orange Mousse
Before starting the recipe, prepare the ingredients and process them as required: zest and juice the oranges and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Rehydrate the gelatine powder by mixing the gelatine powder and very cold water in a small bowl. Stir well to break any lumps and set aside until the mixture turns into a thick paste.
Place the egg yolks and half of the caster sugar (keep the second half for later) in a small saucepan and whisk until combined. Mix in the orange juice until smooth.
Place on the stove on low heat and gently cook for 5 to 10 minutes while continuously stirring with a heat-proof spatula. The mixture should have slightly thickened and coat the bottom of a spoon (see note 1). Make sure the mixture does not boil or you risk overcooking the eggs, which will result in a chunky, curdled mixture.
Pour the cooked mixture into a large mixing bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Discard any lumps or bits of cooked eggs that might remain in the sieve.
Add the prepared gelatine paste and whisk well into the warm mixture until fully dissolved. Gently mix in the orange zest.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface of the mixture and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It shouldn't feel hot to the touch anymore but shouldn't be too cold or the gelatine will start to set (see note 2).
Place the egg whites in a clean large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start whipping the egg whites on medium low to medium speed until it starts to increase in size, turn slightly white and get the consistency of light shaving cream.
While continuing to whip, slowly add the remaining half of the sugar one tablespoon at the time. When all incorporated, increase the speed to high and keep on whisking until you reach stiff peaks. The egg whites should look thick, glossy and hold their shape well on the whisk.
Take the egg yolk mixture out of the fridge and lightly whisk to loosen it. Add about a quarter of the whipped egg whites to it and very gently mix it in using a whisk (see note 3).
Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the rest of the whipped egg whites in 3 or 4 times. Stop folding as soon as you can't see any of the egg whites or you might over-mix the mousse and deflate it. You should get a thin, light and creamy texture (see note 4).
Pour the orange mousse into serving cups and place in the fridge to chill and set for at least 3 to 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Orange whipped cream (optional)
Place the cold whipping cream in a large clean bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whisk on medium to high speed until you reach stiff peaks. Gently fold in the orange zest.
Top the orange mousse with a generous dollop of whipped cream or use a piping bag fitted with a star-shape nozzle to pipe the cream. Finish with a small slice of fresh orange. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
(*) if using gelatine sheets: use 1 1/2 gelatine sheets (platinum strength). Soak the sheets in a large bowl of very cold water and leave them for 10 minutes. Press the sheets to completely drain them of the water before using as directed.
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your pan and the exact temperature of your stove. Ideally, use a kitchen thermometer to cook the eggs to the required temperature - between 82 and 84 degrees Celsius (180 to 183 degrees Fahrenheit).
The exact time will depend on the size of the bowl and the temperature of your fridge. As a reference, gelatine will set once the temperature drops below around 40 degrees Celsius so you don't want to leave the mixture in the fridge for too long or it will start to set and make it hard to incorporate the egg whites.
Using a whisk to integrate a little bit of the egg whites at first will deflate them slightly. But will help thicken the mixture enough to make it easier to fold in the rest of the egg whites.
The mousse will resemble look more like a custard at this point - that's normal! The texture will change as it sets in the fridge.