Maracujß Mousse
(Passion Fruit Mousse)

There are a lot of different ways of making passion fruit mousse, including the recipe that uses the fresh fruit. Well, the fruit is not readily available in the US, so I started making it with frozen passion fruit juice from Venezuela which I can find in Latino markets. It's very good and I also use it for batida de maracujß. Take it out of the freezer and let it thaw before you use it.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

same measure of passion fruit juice

3 egg whites

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin

Blend condensed milk and passion fruit juice. Dissolve gelatin in a cup of water (sprinkle it on water, stir and let it stand for a minute). Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Add gelatin. Wet a ring mold and pour the mousse into it. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Unmold and serve with a crΦme anglaise. Here's the Brazilian version of it. It's a perfect combination of colors and flavors because the mousse will be on the tart side.

Creme de leite  

2 cups of milk

4 egg yolks (the three left from the mousse plus one)

1 cup of sugar

6 whole cloves

Dissolve sugar well in milk. Beat egg yolks slightly with a whisk - or in a pinch with a fork - and add to milk and sugar mixture. Strain the mixture and cook over low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it starts to simmer. DO NOT let it boil, it will curdle on you! Refrigerate. To serve, put a slice of mousse on a plate and spoon creme on top. Use the cloves to decorate the plates. Make sure your guests don't eat them! Great summer dessert.

Maria's Cookbook