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Raspberry mousse with strawberry glaze and a shortbread biscuit

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Vibrant in colour and flavour, raspberry mousse with strawberry glaze is served on a crisp shortbread biscuit base. The restaurant-style presentation is topped with a cheeky mini biscuit, but you can take a simpler approach and set the mousse in a glass.

Equipment: you will need a sugar thermometer, a stand mixer and, ideally, six 6.5cm/2½in round or dome silicone moulds (see Recipe Tips).

Ingredients

For the shortbread biscuits

For the strawberry glaze

To serve

Method

  1. Put the raspberries and 20g/¾oz of the sugar in a blender and blitz to a smooth purée. Strain through a sieve into a bowl.

  2. Weigh out 150g/5½oz of the purée (reserving any remaining purée for decoration), place in a small saucepan and gently warm over a medium heat, until hot but not boiling, then remove from the heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves, add to the warm purée and stir until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

  3. Add the remaining caster sugar to a small deep saucepan along with 40ml/3 scant tablespoons of water. Place over a medium–high heat and bring to the boil. Cook until the syrup reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer. (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.)

  4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg white to soft peaks in a stand mixer. Still whisking, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar syrup onto the egg white and continue whisking until the mix is completely cool and holds firm, glossy peaks (this is called Italian meringue).

  5. Whisk the cream to soft peaks. Add half the cooled raspberry purée to the whipped cream and fold in. Pour the remaining purée into the Italian meringue and gently fold in, trying to keep as much air as possible. Fold the cream and meringue mixtures together until evenly combined. Divide the mixture between six 6.5cm/2½in round or dome silicone moulds (see Recipe Tips). Place in the freezer until completely set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.

  6. To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the butter, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix together, squeezing the mixture until it comes together as a soft dough.

  7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to 5mm/¼in thick. Cut out ten 6.5cm/2½in rounds. Place on the lined baking tray and bake for 10–12 minutes until very light brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

  8. To make the glaze, blend the strawberries with the lemon juice and half the sugar until smooth. Pour into a saucepan, add the glucose and 60ml/4 tablespoons of water, and bring to the boil over a medium–high heat. Mix together the remaining sugar and the pectin and slowly incorporate into the strawberry mix. Boil for 1 minute to activate the pectin. Strain the glaze through a fine sieve into a jug, lay a piece of cling film directly on the surface of the glaze and leave to cool to around 37C.

  9. Unmould the frozen mousses and place on a cooling rack set over a tray. Pour the glaze over the mousses to coat evenly, letting any excess glaze drip off. Set the mousses aside to defrost for 15–20 minutes.

  10. To serve, whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks and place in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a little cream in the centre of each plate and place a biscuit on top. Using an offset spatula, carefully lift each mousse from the rack onto the biscuit, doing your best to not disturb the delicate glaze. Decorate the plate with cream, strawberries and a sprinkle of raspberry powder, and top the mousse with a mini jam sandwich biscuit, if using.

Recipe Tips

For a simpler presentation, the mousse can be spooned into glasses and set in the fridge; pour the glaze on top and serve a biscuit on the side.

Alternatively, you can freeze the mousse in a small shallow tray, lined with baking paper or cling film. When completely set, cut out six rounds, using a plain biscuit cutter, then place on a cooling rack set over a tray and pour over the glaze.

You only need six shortbread biscuits for this recipe; the remaining biscuits will keep for a week in an airtight container.

Any unused glaze can be kept in the fridge for a week and used just like jam.

This recipe is from...

Hungry for It

7. Episode 7

´óÏó´«Ã½ Three