Blue Ribbon Challenge: Mousse!

Not so very long ago, Anna at Crunchy Creamy Sweet announced the Blue Ribbon Challenge:  a contest (of sorts) where the participants (bloggers of any and all kinds) make the same thing, but put their own special "spin" on it. Once you've created your own special version of the challenge theme, you blog about it and post your creation on the assigned date. The next day, yep - we all vote and the winner is awarded the coveted blue ribbon to post on their website.

Today is the first challenge:  for mousse!

I'll confess. I haven't made mousse since Home Economics class about a million years ago. Well, maybe not a million years ago, but it's been awhile. I don't think Home Ec is even offered in most schools anymore - it was that long ago! Anyway . . . .

I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy mousse is to make. It can be a very complex or refreshingly uncomplicated dessert - depending on your mood. But, either way, it's a memorable and delicious dessert. I'm still trying to figure out why I haven't thought to make it before the challenge.

For the first Blue Ribbon Challenge, I chose a Honey-Caramel Mousse. This mousse is light with a surprising twist. The taste reminds me of the Bit O' Honey candy, but with caramel overtones. The whipped cream garnish is unsweetened and helps to balance the sweetness of the mousse. I served my mousse with airy, little chocolate tuile cookie cutouts. Perfect!

Honey-Caramel Mousse

Inspired by Carole Bloom's Creamy Caramel Mousse recipe

Carole's recipe in Bite-Sized Desserts calls for less honey - only a teaspoon. I love honey and wanted more of it to come through in the caramel mousse, so I tripled the amount of honey called for to a tablespoon.

1 cup heavy cream, divided

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. butter

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, add the sugar, brown sugar, water, honey and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat to boiling.  Brush around the inside of the pan with a damp pastry brush at the point where the sugar syrup meets the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization. Do this two times throughout the cooking time. Cook the syrup over medium-high heat, without stirring, until it turns the color of amber, about 6 minutes.

While the sugar syrup is cooking, heat 1/3 cup of cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat while you wait for the syrup to finish cooking.

Lower the heat under the syrup to medium. Slowly add the hot cream to the sugar syrup, stirring constantly with a long-handles spatula or spoon. The cream will bubble and foam, so be very careful. Continue to stir until the caramel is smooth and there are no lumps. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter is completely melted.

Transfer the caramel to a 2-quart bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until the caramel is cool, but stir-able - about 1 to 2 hours.

Whip the remaining 2/3 cups cream until it holds soft peaks. Set aside 1/3 cup of the whipped cream. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the chilled caramel sauce in 3 stages. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. The mousse (without any garnish) will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days when tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.

To serve, spoon the mousse into a serving bowl or dessert glass. Garnish with the reserved unsweetened whipped cream piped through a star tipped pastry bag.

Add tuile cookie cut-outs or other garnish, if you like and serve.

Enjoy! And if you like my Honey-Caramel Mousse, you can vote for it here! Thanks!!


This post is linked with love to Crunchy Creamy Sweet Blue Ribbon Challenge, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up, Michelle's Tasty Creations Creative Thursday, It's a Piece O' Cake Linky Party, Five Little Chefs Fantastic Thursday, The Frugal Girls Chic & Crafty Party, Simple Living Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck, The Saturday Pinterest Party, A Pinteresting Party, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Show Me What Ya Got, Tout It Tuesday and What's Inside the Gunny Sack.