This passion fruit mousse is a light and airy, yet citrus and rich classic dessert. This is a staple South American sweet recipe.
In Venezuela, we call it “mousse de parchita” and it’s one of my favorite desserts to ask in any Venezuelan bakery shop.
This is an exotic twist to the classic strawberry or chocolate mousse. It has that exotic citrus flavor that only passion fruit can give.
Passion fruit has one particularity, even when the flavor is acidic you can lose a lot of that when you dissolve it into the mousse and add sugar. For that reason, I like to keep the sour punch with some lemon juice. It doesn’t change the flavor at all and keeps a balance between sweet and acidic.
How to get an airy passion fruit mousse?
This is the most important part when making a mousse: air. You have to build air into the preparation.
To achieve this we need to beat the egg white until they form soft peaks. Also, you have to whisk the heavy cream until it’s in whipped cream form. Both of this ingredients will give that airy finish to the mouse.
A quick trick for a perfect whipped cream: Work with chill heavy cream and if you can, put the bowl you are using in the fridge for 10 minutes before using it. This way you will get a fluffier whipped cream.
Now that you have the whipped egg whites and cream it is crucial that the rest of the ingredients are added slowly and with a spatula. You have to fold in the ingredients, not stirring the mousse. If you get too crazy with the mixing you will get a compact mousse and that is the opposite of light and airy.
After you get the perfect mousse consistency it is important to let it chill completely and set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. You can make it the day before and let it sit overnight.
This is a pretty simple recipe that you can take to another level: garnish it with a syrup of passion fruit seeds and plain sugar. This will give it a splash of color and a crunchy texture to the fluffy mousse.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do and I see you in the next one.
Passion Fruit Mousse
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites
- ¼ cup water
- 5-6 passion fruits pulp
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 3 gelatine sheets
- 1 lemon juice
Instructions
- Whisk the egg whites with a stand mixer on high speed until they are forming firm peaks. Also, whisk the heavy cream until it’s whipped cream and save for later.
- In a pot pour the passion fruit pulp and the water and take it to the stove over medium heat for a couple minutes. Strain the juice and save the seeds for later.
- Pour the passion fruit juice back to the pot and add 1 cup of sugar and the juice of the lemon. Boil until it starts to form a syrup, about 10 minutes.
- Pour slowly the syrup into the egg whites and keep mixing.
- With a spatula --- we want to avoid losing air --- incorporate the whipped cream and the gelatine sheets dissolved with a few tbsp of hot water.
- Pour the mousse into the molds or cups. Take to the fridge for 3 hours at least before serving it.
- In a small pot mix the passion fruit seeds and 4 tbsp of sugar. Make a thick syrup and take it to the fridge. Use it to garnish the mousse.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.