Happy Fourth of July! How are you celebrating? Many towns across the country, including ours, are having a parade. Everyone turns out to watch our local fire trucks, the kids with their dogs, the mayor, military veterans, and all the other characters in our community strut their stuff. Our county fair is also in full swing and will certainly be full with everyone have a great time. Many people host barbecues, go on picnics, attend a baseball game, or just figure out where the best place to watch the fireworks is. No matter how you plan to celebrate, I know it will be fun.
On the Fourth of July in most of the country people are attired in shorts and t-shirts due to the excessive heat. In the San Francisco Bay Area we usually have to wear ski parkas to watch the nighttime spectacle. And more often than not, the infamous San Francisco fog obscures the night, lighting up from the inside whenever the fireworks explode. This year we are having a heat wave with no fog in the forecast. There is a chance we may even be able to leave our jackets at home!
Because this is a holiday, I am going to keep this post short. I have lots of food to prepare for our own celebration, but I couldn’t miss a Chocolate Monday! We usually focus on dark chocolate, but I thought I would change it up and do something fun with white chocolate. Today’s recipe is a beautiful white chocolate mousse, and in honor of the holiday, I have added some fresh red raspberries and blueberries. You can use any fruit that you like. Mango, pears and strawberries would all be wonderful additions.
Though this recipe says it takes two days to make, I have made it in a single day. It doesn’t hold it’s shape as well but it is still delicious. If you have the time, by all means follow the recipe as Gale intended, it will be incredible. But if you are in a hurry (as I usually am) know that the texture and volume will suffer, but the flavor will still be delightful.
Now I have to get back in the kitchen. I hope you all enjoy your holiday. Be careful with any fireworks you are setting off yourself and don’t start any fires. Take a moment to thank the men and women who continue to protect our freedoms. Happy Fourth!
Jane’s Tips and Hints:
You may be tempted to melt the chocolate over steam, but white chocolate burns much more easily than other types of chocolate, so using Gale’s technique is much safer.
- 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 5 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup egg whites (from about 4 eggs)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 to 4 cups chopped fresh fruit, such as cherries, pears, mango, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries
- Two days before you plan to serve the dessert, in a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat.
- Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Strain into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the refrigerator.
- Rinse the berries in a colander and set aside to drain.
- In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the white chocolate mixture, and then spoon the mixture (or pipe through a pastry bag) into glasses or brightly colored bowls. Sprinkle with a mixture of the berries and serve immediately.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Thank You!
