BLUEBERRY MOUSSE CUPS ~ Red White and Blue Dessert #Recipe #July4th

BLUEBERRY MOUSSE CUPS

Everything about this dessert is delicious…including the cup! The dessert cups are made with white chocolate and are filled with a light, refreshing blueberry mousse. Topped with a little whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, this red white and blue treat is perfect for Independence Day. If you have chocolate cup molds, by all means use them; if you don’t, a yogurt cup or a half-pint sour cream container will work well. Cut the thick rim from the top of the yogurt cup for best results, and cut the top half off of the sour cream container. Candy melts found in the cake decorating section of craft stores work very well. The cups in the photographs used white candy melts with colored “star bursts”…perfect for the Fourth.

BLUEBERRY MOUSSE CUPS

Makes 6
12-16 ounces white chocolate or candy melts
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water, divided
1 package unflavored gelatin (a scant tablespoon)
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
Blue food color (optional)
Maraschino cherries for decoration

1. In a small microwavable bowl, melt chocolate. Begin by heating for 30 seconds, stir, and continue heating at 10-15 second increments, stirring often. White chocolate will scorch easily, so stop heating when you can still see small pieces. Stir until melted.

2. In a chocolate cup mold or small plastic food container (like a yogurt or half-pint sour cream container) put a couple of tablespoons of chocolate in the bottom. Roll the chocolate around the mold until it is coated, bringing it to within 1/4-inch from the top. You may need to add a little more chocolate or use the back of a spoon to coax it around evenly. Immediately put the container in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. The white chocolate is easiest to work with if it isn’t too warm. If it gets too thick to work with, return it to the microwave for 10 seconds and stir well.

3. Remove container from freezer. If you can see spots that haven’t been covered well, touch them up with a little more chocolate and freeze briefly to harden.

4. Holding the container upside down, gently roll it between the palms of your hands. The chocolate cup should easily drop out of the mold. If it doesn’t, freeze for a few more minutes or try pulling the top edge of the container away just a little bit from the chocolate, and tip it over again. Press very gently on the bottom.

5. Carefully trim the top edge of the chocolate cup with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler, if desired.

6. When all cups are finished, set aside.

7. In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to keep berries at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. While the berries are simmering, in a very small bowl or ramekin, combine 1 tablespoon water and the gelatin. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to soften the gelatin.

9. Microwave the gelatin mixture for 5 seconds. Stir. Repeat 2 more times. Gelatin should be liquid and a little foamy. Immediately add to the hot berry mixture and stir well.

10. Set the pan containing the berry mixture into a shallow bowl of ice water to cool quickly. Stir occasionally until mixture is very thick.

11. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Remove a small amount of whipping cream for topping the finished cups, and set aside. Add the berry mixture gradually to the bowl of whipped cream, beating constantly.

12. The mixture will be purple. If you want a red white and blue dessert, you’ll need to add blue food coloring at this point.

13. Spoon into white chocolate cups, dividing the mixture evenly. The mousse will thicken quickly in the cups. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with a little whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.