A little bit of effort required but by no means difficult and so worth it. Lots of options to make it your own as well, I’ll point them out as we go through the recipe.
What you need: feeds 6-8
For the biscuit base:
- 250g of either digestive biscuits, chocolate digestives, rich tea or ginger nuts
- 125g butter melted
For the mousse cake:
- 4 sheets leaf gelatine
- 142ml carton single cream
- 500g carton fromage frais
- 140g caster sugar or golden caster
- finely grated zest 1 small orange
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
- 400g raspberries, or blueberries or strawberries ( if using strawberries cut them into quarters)
- 284ml carton double cream
For the sauce (Optional):
- 250g of strawberries (chopped) or raspberries
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons of either strawberry or raspberry jam
You will also need a 24cm round tin, with a loose bottom the springform ones are ideal. Some greaseproof paper or baking parchment. A large mixing bowl wooden spoon and whisk and a large saucepan. A blender or food processor if making the sauce.
1. Lightly butter the bottom of the tin. Line the bottom of the tin with a circle of greaseproof paper. (Photo 1). Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush using a rolling pin. (Photo 2).
2. Melt the butter in a medium pan, then stir in the biscuits. (Photo 3). Tip this mixture into the tin, and press down evenly. Chill in the fridge whilst preparing the mousse. (Photo 4).
3. Make the mousse: submerge the 4 leaves of gelatine (Photo 5) in a large bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Make sure none of the gelatine leaves are not stuck together before you put them in.
4. Heat the single cream in a small pan until it just comes to the boil. (Photo 6). Take off the heat. Lift the gelatine leaves out of the water and give them a good squeeze to get rid of the water. Stir into the hot cream one by one – they will dissolve immediately. Leave to cool slightly.
5. Beat together the fromage frais, sugar, orange zest and juice with a whisk or wooden spoon. (Photo 7 &8). Stir in the cooled cream and gelatine mixture and the 400g of the fruit you have chosen. Crush just a few of the berries against the sides of the bowl and stir again to ripple through, leaving most whole. I used all raspberries in mine. (Photo 9).
6. Whip the double cream lightly to soft peaks, then fold it into the fruit mixture. Pour into the cake tin and leave to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until set. (Photo 10).
7. If making the sauce: Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Chill until ready to serve. (The sauce and the mousse can be made up to a day ahead).
8. Put on a serving plate and pile a mixture of fruits on top to decorate. Dust with icing sugar (Photo 11). To serve, run a knife between the mousse and the tin, lift it out of the tin and take it off its base. and serve with the sauce or cream. (Photo 12).
For more information on Jane Cooper and other recipes visit the Cooking with Jane page here.
