What better way to surprise someone you love, than with a refreshing Raspberry Mousse with a hint of Champagne?
Got leftover Champagne? Ha! What’s leftover Champagne?!
This Raspberry Champagne Mousse is a great excuse to crack open a bottle! It’s light, refreshing and the perfect make-ahead treat for Mother’s Day, or any other day that you’re feeling in the mood for a celebration (or maybe you just wanna show off).
You can absolutely use leftover Champagne, freshly popped Champagne or Prosecco. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute grape juice, berry juice or water. Use ripe, sweet raspberries for the best flavor, or frozen berries if you can’t get your hands on good ones.
This is easy to make but requires a few steps, so we suggest having your ‘mise en place’ in place. (That’s a French culinary term for having all your ingredients measured and ready to go so that you can work swiftly.)
This is fun to make, hard to mess up, and the Champagne gives it such a nice twist! Enjoy! xoxo Kirsty
Ingredients for 4 individual servings
2 cups (250g) raspberries, fresh or frozen. If using frozen, measure out the cup volume before thawing, and strain off the extra liquid. This can be used instead of champagne for a non-alcoholic mousse.
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1-1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder
1/2 cup (120ml) champagne*, juice or water, can be flat - divided
2 egg whites*, preferably at room temperature
a teeny pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
*this recipe contains alcohol and raw egg whites which may not be suitable for pregnant women.
Use an immersion blender to purée the raspberries. Push the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds and put the purée in a small sauce pan.
Add the lemon juice to the purée and turn the heat up to medium-low to warm it up.
Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup (60ml) of Champagne (or water) to a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin powder. Allow to bloom for 3-4 minutes.
When the raspberry puree is hot, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gelatin until it has completely dissolved. Allow the purée to cool to room temperature and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) of Champagne.
Add the egg whites to a large, squeaky clean bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites until they are white and foamy. Sprinkle over the sugar gradually, whipping all the while. Within a minute or two, you should have shiny, stiff peaks.
Using a large metal spoon, add a little bit of the egg white into the raspberry mixture and carefully fold it until it has all been incorporated. Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold carefully. If you're too rough with it, you'll deflate the air bubbles in the egg whites and the mousse may not set properly.
Spoon the mousse into small glasses, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This can be made up to a day ahead.
To serve, top with fresh raspberries, mint leaves and cookies on the side.