Mango Carrot Mousse Recipe (Verrines de Mousse de Carottes)

This mango carrot mousse recipe is a refreshing escape from everyday ingredients. It has an Asian flair to it because of the use of mango, ginger and cinnamon. To the mango mousse, I added shredded carrots cooked in milk and agave nectar. I purposely didn't blend the carrots with the mascarpone cheese  in a food processor so there would still be a slightly coarse texture to the mousse, which I find very pleasant.

Whenever I'm on a quest to make a new dessert, I always keep in mind that most people appreciate  a little decadence. Serving the mousse in small verrines is a great way to keep rich desserts from becoming excessive, and it also makes the desserts more elegant. It will keep the dessert fans in your life coming back for more!

Mango Cream Cheese Mousse Recipe

Mango cream cheese mousse is an ultra easy dessert. It doesn't require any cooking and can be prepared one day ahead so you can relax the day you're hosting your dinner party. The other cool thing about it is that the dessert is gluten free, making it a perfect option if one of your guests has a gluten allergy.

I flavored cream cheese with Alphonso mango pulp and added the same stabilizers I typically use in place of eggs (xanthan gum and lecithin). I also folded in some whipped cream so the mousse is light and airy. The interplay of the tanginess of the cream cheese with the sweetness of the mango is really incredible, and far more complex in flavor than I expected. The only negative about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make that I’m worried that we’ll be indulging in it more than we should (I served it in 3-ounce dessert cups). We’ll just have to spend more time exercizing!

Mango Mousse

After making mango lassi, I add some leftover mango pulp and I had a tin full of ginger snaps from yesterday. I knew I was onto something decadent. I ran to the grocery store and got some heavy cream and some white chocolate. At the store, it occurred to me that the lemon apeels (lemon-flavored chocolate chips) would give the dessert more flavor than plain white chocolate.

So what could I make with all these lovely ingredients? The answer is an egg-free mango mousse flavored with lemon apeels and garnished with homemade ginger snap cookies.

Chestnut Mousse (Mousse aux Marrons)

Chestnut mousse, or mousse aux marrons in French, is to die for. In France, I would rarely make it as it is easier to buy the Marronsuis Nestle brand. It's as good as the homemade version. Unfortunately, it is not available in California. I found that my local store carries French chestnut puree, so I bought some and came home and made the delicious goodness right away.

Egg-free Banana Mousse

Most mousse recipes call for eggs, but my poor little 9-year-old sister-in-law is deathly allergic to them. I've come up with an egg-free mousse that has a slightly denser texture, but otherwise will satisfy your cravings. 

Bananas are in season so I decided to make an eggless banana mousse. I love bananas because they have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Fruits, however, add more water content to a mousse than chocolate does, so you need to counteract that with another ingredient.  I used a sweet mascarpone base with the pureed bananas. If you are making an eggless chocolate mousse, there is no need to add the mascarpone cheese.