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.

Rau Cau (Coconut, Mocha, Pandan flavored Vietnamese Jello Cake)

Rau câu is a Vietnamese jello cake that is made out of agar agar, which is a seaweed by product similar to gelatin. It's made out of coconut milk, condensed milk and layers of your favorite flavorings like mocha, vanilla, coconut, banana, chocolate and durian (if you're adventurous!).. It has the same texture of pana cotta. 

It's a great alternative for vegetarians who do not want to use animal (usually pork) gelatin in desserts.

Happy Tet 2009, Year of the Ox