Mousses

Mousses may be sweet or savory. Savory mousses are made from purées of meat, fish, or vegetables. Dessert mousses are made from several different bases, including fruit purées, egg yolks that have been poached by beating in hot syrup, and dark or white chocolate. The characteristic mousse texture is obtained by folding beaten egg whites and/or whipped cream into the base. The air bubbles from the beaten whites/cream are trapped inside the dessert, which provides the frothy, almost spongy texture. When making mousses, it is important that neither the egg whites nor the cream be overbeaten. Overbeaten whites will produce a deflated mousse; overbeaten cream will produce a heavy, buttery-textured mousse.