Cocoa Nut Mousse Recipes

COCOA NUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Spread coconut on the baking sheet and toast until golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat ricotta with an electric mixer at high speed until light and airy, about 4 minutes. Add cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and almond and vanilla extracts; beat just until blended. Fold in whipped topping, almonds, and coconut.
• Spoon mousse into 8 dessert cups; cover and chill at least 2 hours. To serve, remove mousse from refrigerator and sprinkle lightly with a few almonds and a little coconut, if desired.

COCONUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Pour the cold water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin into the cold water. Set aside, let sit for about 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan heat the coconut milk, cream of coconut and pinch of salt. Heat until just warm, not bubbling.
• Add the gelatin to the warmed coconut milk and stir until all the gelatin is dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a medium size mixing bowl pour the heavy whipping cream and add the white sugar. Mix over medium speed until whipped cream is light and fluffy and soft peaks are forming.
• Carefully add the cooled coconut mixture to the whipped cream and stir until combined.
• Pour the mixture into small containers or jars. Seal and place in refrigerator. Allow to cool and set for at least 4 hours.
• Top with additional whipped cream and any other toppings desired. Pictured is chocolate, strawberries, and sugared lime zest (lime zest coated in white sugar).

COCONUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Pour boiling-hot water over dried coconut in a blender, then blend, scraping down sides as necessary, until combined well, about 30 seconds (use caution when blending hot liquids). Cool in blender until cool enough to handle.
• Line a large fine-mesh sieve with several layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour coconut mixture into lined sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup coconut milk in a large bowl.
• Pour remaining coconut milk into a 1-cup glass measure and add enough whole milk to bring total to 1 cup, then transfer to a small saucepan.
• Sprinkle gelatin over milk mixture in saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then heat over moderate heat, whisking occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved (do not let boil). Whisk into sweetened condensed milk mixture in large bowl until combined. Quick-chill by putting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until mixture is the consistency of raw egg whites, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from ice bath.
• Beat cream with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks, then fold cream into coconut mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Using cleaned beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, then fold into coconut mixture gently but thoroughly. Chill, covered, until set, about 1 hour.

COCONUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a bowl mix condensed milk with coconut milk.
• Dissolve the gelatin with 2 tablespoons water in microwave for 15 seconds, allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Stir the milk mixture into the gelatin, and gently beat into the whipped the egg whites.
• Place in bowls and refrigerate for 2 hours. At serving time garnish with chocolate shavings and cherries.

COCONUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Pour 3/4 of the puree into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to soften. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of puree and the sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir the puree and gelatin into the warm puree and stir to dissolve the gelatin. If lumps remain, put the pan over low heat and stir just until the lumps dissolve. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium peaks. Fold one-third of it into the coconut mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into a bowl (or ramekins) and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

COCONUT MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Preparation:
• Make the Hot Milk Cake as directed and make sure it is cool inside and out. (If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator, 3 to 4 hours. or on the countertop for 1 to 2 hours. If time demands, you can thaw on the countertop. If time demands you can thaw on the countertop 1 to 2 hours, but be careful not let it sit too long before you begin working with it, as a cold cake is easier to cut.)
• Clear a space in the refrigerator large enough for the cake on a cake board. The mousse cake will need several hours to set up.
• If making the Coconut Simple Syrup now, let cool to room temperature. Make the Coconut Mousse as directed, allowing time for the gelatin-sugar mixture to cool before finishing.
• Set a revolving cake stand on a clean, dry work surface and place the cake, top-side up, on the stand. Using a serrated knife and holding the blade perfectly horizontal, remove any curve from the top of the cake to level it. While you saw gently with the knife, use your other hand to rotate the stand gradually and bring the cake toward you. Get eye level to the cake as needed to make sure you are holding the knife exactly level. Repeat to split the cake into three or four equal layers.
• Arrange all the cake layers on the work surface. Using your hands, tap off and brush away excess crumbs. Turn the original bottom layer flat-dark-side, or pan-side, up; reserve this to be the top layer of the assembled cake. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each layer with an ample amount of the coconut syrup.
• Line a clean 6-by-3-inch cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving about 3 inches of overhang all around the sides to use later as a handle. Take up the original top of the cake, which you leveled, to be the bottom layer of the assembled cake. Place the first layer of cake, syrup-side up, in the lined pan. Scoop 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the mousse on top of the cake layer and use an offset spatula to level it. Top with the second layer of cake, syrup-side up, and press down lightly to seal and secure. Add another layer of mousse. Repeat with the third layer if making a four-layer cake.
• Place the reserved top piece, flat-dark-side up, on top. Cover with plastic wrap and carefully transfer the cake to the refrigerator. Let set for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• To unmold the mousse cake, wrap a hot towel around the pan for 1 minute and gently shake to loosen the cake. Invert the pan onto a cake board on a clean work surface, then gently lift the pan off. If it resists, give a little tug on the plastic-wrap "handle." When the pan is off, peel the plastic-wrap lining from the cake. Transfer the cake on its board onto the revolving cake stand, with a nonslip pad or damp paper towel underneath.
• This cake requires only one coat of icing. Using the offset spatula, smear a generous scoop of the icing on one side of the cake. Keeping the spatula in front of you, rotate the cake stand to spread the icing in a smooth coat about 1 inch thick. (It needs to be thick enough to hide the sides of the cake, but not drooping down the sides.) Add more icing as you go, but do NOT back track! The icing will be covered with coconut, so it is not important for it to be perfect; however, you want the cake layers aligned perfectly and the coat of icing to be straight up and down on all sides, as well as crumb free and smooth. As you frost the sides, push the icing up over the top edge of the cake to make sure the coverage is complete, then use this excess to frost the top, using the spatula to pull the icing across the cake toward the center. There should be enough icing from the sides to cover the top, but if necessary, add another small scoop.
• Using a cupped hand, apply the dried coconut to the sides and top of the cake, pressing gently to help it adhere. Very carefully transfer the cake on the board to a presentation platter. Gather up any excess coconut and press it onto the cake, or reserve for another use. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
• Stir 1/2 cup coconut milk into 1/2 cup Simple Syrup. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.