Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Mousse

Think the best vanilla milkshake you’ve ever had but not frozen, this Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Mousse if cream, soft, fluffy and not too sweet.

Can mousse be made without eggs?

Traditionally mousse is made with eggs, the egg whites are whipped to make it nice and fluffy. I have tried a version that uses more of a vanilla pudding lightened with whipped cream but it just doesn’t hit the same.

What type of vanilla is best for this mousse?

I used vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste for this vanilla mousse; however scraped out vanilla bean is best if you have it!

Can vanilla mousse be made in advance?

Unlike a traditional chocolate mousse, this vanilla mousse doesn’t necessarily set up more overnight. Therefore this mousse is great day of and the next day but after that it can start to deflate a little.

Additional Recipes to try!

• Chocolate Mousse
• Vanilla Pudding
• Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tips for making Vanilla Mousse

• Eggs are easiest to separate when they’re cold! Be sure you don’t have any egg yolk or shell in your egg whites or they won’t whip.
• While the egg whites don’t have to be cooked, I prefer to make them into a meringue over a double boiler which also helps to stabilize the egg white.
• Be careful not to over whip the meringue and whatever you do, don’t decrease the sugar. There is only half a cup of sugar in this whole batch and it’s important for the overall texture so just go with it ok?
• Use a big flat rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream into the egg yolks and fold the meringue into everything, fold, don’t stir. When adding the meringue into the mixture, using the balloon whisk or a big wire whisk to fold in the first third is the best way to mix it in. It breaks it up without deflating, after the first third though, use the rubber spatula.
• The toppings for this mousse are endless! To keep it simple, olive oil and flaky salt are best but I also love serving it with my brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. You can also top it with a cherry or a dusting of cocoa powder!

Ingredients

• Eggs: Standard large eggs should be used for this mousse! They’re easiest to separate when cold so no need to let them sit out first.
• Mascarpone: I like to add a bit of mascarpone to this mousse for creaminess and stability since there isn’t any chocolate being added in. I recently made this again and also added a little creme fraiche in place of some of the mascarpone and it was wonderful!
• Sugar: This recipe uses white granulated sugar in the meringue portion for sweetness and to stabilize the egg whites.
• Vanilla: I’ve used vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. But if you have it or are concerned about the tiny amount of alcohol in uncooked vanilla extract, scraping out the insides of a vanilla bean is great.
• Salt: A bit of fine sea salt balances out the sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor. I also like to top it with some flaked sea salt when serving.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy whipping cream should be used to make the whipped cream which is folded in for fluff and creaminess. Make sure the cream is cold when you go to whip it!

How to make Vanilla Bean Mousse?

Separate the eggs

• Working with one egg at a time, separate the yolk from the white. The yolks should go into a small bowl. The whites should go straight into the big mixing bowl you plan to make the meringue in.

Mascarpone Egg yolks

• In a small mixing bowl, beat together the mascarpone, vanilla (paste, extract or bean) and one egg yolk.
• Then add in each of the other two egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in between each egg yolk addition until smooth.

Meringue

• Add about 2 inches of water into a small sauce pot or the base of a double boiler. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium low. Bring the water to a simmer.
• In the big mixing bowl of egg whites, add in the sugar and salt.
• Turn the heat under the water down to low and place the mixing bowl over the pot of water.
• Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved. You will notice the mixture become easier to whisk as the sugar dissolves. To test if it’s ready, rub a bit of them mixture between your fingers to feel if there are any remaining sugar crystals.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat and take the bowl off the pot.
• Use the balloon whisk attachment to whip the meringue. First on medium until frothy and then on high until soft, shiny peaks form. Keep an eye on it because you don’t want to over whip it. It doesn’t need to be solid but it should hold it’s shape.
• Leave it to finish cooling down while you whip the cream.

Whipped Cream

• In a medium bowl whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. The lines in the cream should hold their shape but you don’t want to make butter.

Fold them all together

• Pour half of the whipped cream into the egg yolk mascarpone mixture with a big flat rubber spatula.
• Add in the second half of the whipped cream and fold to combine. Don’t be tempted to stir so that you keep the air in the cream.
• Dollop half of the meringue into the mascarpone mixture. Use the whisk that you used to whip the meringue to fold/whip the meringue into the mixture but gently by hand.
• Then add in the second third of meringue and switch over to the flat rubber spatula to fold the meringue into the mix. Fold in the last third of the meringue until completely mixed.
• Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.
• Top with anything from olive oil and flaky salt to chocolate sauce, a cherry, or crushed graham crackers!

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