It's too late for ice cream and too soon for hot desserts so during this time of transition, mousse seems the best option.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFBitter-chocolate mousse(photo credit: Anatoly Michaelo)
Not yet ready for hot desserts but feel it is no longer time for ice cream? Chef Oren Becker suggests mousse as the perfect dessert for fall – and really for any time. Mousse is light and fluffy and very impressive but not that difficult to make.Serve Oren Becker’s recipes in martini glasses, and success is guaranteed.Becker, one of the top pastry chefs in Israel, has a baking school, leads many workshops, has his own TV cooking shows and has published a book, titled This Is How to Bake It…. Becker’s upcoming project is a three-story center that will consist of a patisserie, a café-restaurant called Wilhelmina by Oren Becker and a lounge-bar on the top floor. The project is due to open soon in the new Sarona compound in Tel Aviv.Bitter-Chocolate MousseMakes 4 to 5 servings✔ 100 gr. good-quality dark chocolate ✔ 2 eggs, separated ✔ 30 gr. sugar (about 2 Tbsp.) ✔ 250 ml. cream Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or a pot placed over another pot filled with boiling water).Beat egg whites and sugar to a hard foam. Whip the cream until it is firm but not too hard.Fold about ¼ of the whipped cream into the melted warm chocolate. Mix until smooth. Add egg yolks and mix again. Carefully fold the beaten eggs into the mixture.When smooth, add the rest of the whipped cream and mix again until smooth, light and consistent.Using a pastry bag, fill serving dishes 3/4 full with the mousse. Becker suggests using martini glasses. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.White chocolate mousseMakes 4 servingsWhite chocolate mousse (Anatoly Michaelo)✔ 150 gr. white chocolate ✔ ¼ cup cream ✔ 1 egg yolk ✔ 4 tsp. sugar ✔ 1 tsp. gelatin ✔ 2 Tbsp. water ✔ 250 ml. creamBreak the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler. In a small pot, heat ¼ cup cream and pour over the chocolate.Mix well until a ganache is created.In a small bowl, using a hand whisk, mix together the egg yolk and sugar and add to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.In a separate bowl, dissolve the gelatin in water and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Pour the warm dissolved gelatin into the chocolate mixture and mix.If the mixture is not smooth, place the bowl over boiling water and whisk until it becomes smooth again.In a mixer, whip the cream until it thickens, then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate ganache until a smooth, velvety mousse is formed. Pour mousse into serving glasses and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until it sets.Striped cheese mousseMakes 3 servingsStriped cheese mousse Anatoly Michaelo)✔ 1 tsp. gelatin ✔ 2 Tbsp. water ✔ 140 gr. 9% fat white cheese ✔ 3 Tbsp. sugar ✔ ½ tsp. lemon zest ✔ ½ tsp. vanilla extract ✔ 125 ml. cream For colored layer ✔ 50 gr. berry puree Dissolve gelatin in water and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then heat in the microwave for 10 seconds.Mix together cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the dissolved gelatin and mix until smooth.Whip the cream until it thickens and fold into the cheese mixture.Pour the cheese mousse into serving glasses halfway. Mix in the fruit puree and place in the refrigerator to harden for 15 minutes.Place the colored mousse in a pastry bag and fill the glasses with the colored layer. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.Chocolate, caramel and apple mousseMakes 3 servingsFor the caramel:✔ 50 gr. sugar ✔ 100 ml. cream✔ 1 Tbsp. honey For the mousse ✔ 40 gr. milk chocolate ✔ 100 gr. bitter chocolate ✔ 170 ml. cream In a deep pot, dissolve sugar and honey over medium heat.Heat the cream in a small pot until lukewarm, and mix into the caramel to “open” it and cook until it becomes smooth toffee. Place both types of chocolates in a bowl and pour the warm caramel toffee on the chocolates and mix until smooth. Whip the cream until it thickens and fold into the chocolate-caramel mixture. Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate.Top with sautéed apples.Chocolate, caramel and apple mousse (Anatoly Michaelo)Sautéed apples✔ 1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges ✔ 1 Tbsp. demerara sugar ✔ 1 Tbsp. butter Melt sugar with butter and sauté the apples until they become golden in color.Chill well and place on the mousse just minutes before serving. The recipes and photos are courtesy of master pastry chef Oren Becker, owner of Oren Becker Boutique, 30 Hanatziv Street, Tel Aviv 076-542-3033.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
