Bramble Mousse -

Bramble Mousse

Ingredients

1 lb blackberries
1 oz caster sugar
3 eggs
3 oz caster sugar
½ oz gelatine
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons water
¼ pint double cream

To decorate

3-4 fl oz double cream
Caster sugar (to sweeten)

Method

Pick over the blackberries, put them in a saucepan with 1 oz caster sugar and stew gently until soft and pulpy. Rub them through a nylon strainer and leave to cool.

Whisk the eggs and remaining sugar together in a basin over a pan of hot water. Continue beating until basin is cold.

Watchpoint: The mixture must be so thick that when a little is lifted on the whisk it should remain in a thick ribbon or rope on itself for 1 minute.

Soak the gelatine in the lemon juice and water, then dissolve it over gentle heat.

Lightly whip the cream until it is exactly the same consistency as the egg and sugar mixture. To the egg mixture add 6 fl oz of the blackberry purée, the gelatine and cream and fold together quickly but lightly. Stir the mixture over ice until it begins to thicken, then pour it quickly into a glass bowl; cover and leave for 1-2 hours in a cool place to set. Just before serving, spoon the remaining purée over the top of the mousse. Whip and sweeten the extra cream and pipe it in a lattice over the top.

Related food category:

• Soufflés and Mousses