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Mousse Methods


Patrick S

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I recently used this mousse recipe from the NY Times. No eggs, no gelatin. It looked and tasted like chocolate pudding before it went into the fridge and I thought it was to be an utter failure, but it setup into an incredible mousse.

So for the caramel mousse recipe that started this thread, simply omitting the gelatin would work (with perhaps a slight loss in stability)?

Edited by cjsadler (log)

Chris Sadler

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As I understand it, technically speaking (and I think perhaps this is splitting hairs), but a mousse should not contain any gelating, being held together by the amazing power of eggs and whatever your flavoring ingredients are (like chocolate). When you add gelatin to hold it together, it becomes a bavarian.

I polled Google using the define:mousse command, and it returned 19 hits, about 10 of which do not refer to petroleum froth or hair products. Many of hte definitions included gelatin, none of the definitions specifically excluded gelatin, and most specify that mousse can be cream based, egg-based or cream and egg-based. Mousse seems to be defined by its texture (mousse is French for 'foam') rather than by its ingredients.

A rich, airy dish that can be sweet or savory and served hot or cold. The fluffiness comes from whipped cream or beaten egg whites. Mousses are made with meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, chocolate, and fruit purees.

www.nutribase.com/cookingt.shtml

A French term meaning "froth" or "foam," mousse is a rich, airy dish that can be either sweet or savory and hot or cold.

home.earthlink.net/~tmlphx/Dictionary/terms_and_definitions.htm

A soft, creamy food, either sweet or savory, that is made light by the addition of whipped cream or beaten egg whites or both. Top

www.mustardseedmarket.com/bodycsglossary.htm

A type of chilled pudding made from a mixture of whipped cream and flavorings thickened with gelatin.

glencoe.com/sec/busadmin/marketing/dp/rest_mgmt/gloss.shtml

A rich, airy cold dessert made with whipped cream or beaten egg whites, often with gelatin, and combined with fruit puree, chocolate, or sweetened custard.

www.frugal.8m.com/Kitchen/Glossary.html

is a French term meaning "foam" or "froth". Mousse is a rich, airy dish that can be either sweet or savory and hot or cold.

www.partyfun.com/dictionary.html

A light, frothy dessert like the souffle.

www.mahim.com/et/epage236.htm

A mixture of eggs and sugar flavored with chocolate, fruit or liqueur and lightened with whipped cream.

www.gigischocolates.com/definitions.html

A sweet or savory dish, mousse is usually made with egg whites or whipped cream to give the light, airy texture. In French, the word means "froth" or "foam." Recipe: Chocolate-Lovers' Mousse

www.about.com/food/southernfood/library/info/bld_m.htm

A French term meaning froth or foam. Its fluffiness is due to the addition of whipped cream or beaten egg whites and can be flavored with chocolates or fruits.

www.marquisecakes.com/glossary.htm

a light creamy dessert set with gelatin

www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

a light creamy dish made from fish or meat and set with gelatin

www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

Jgarner53:

Well, I'm no expert on mousses, but using/eating raw eggs doesn't bother me at all. If there's an Italian meringue, I at least know that the egg whites probably were cooked enough, but even if they're just made into a French meringue (no heated sugar syrup), it's fine by me.

Pass the mousse, please!

Well, the risk of Salmonella infection is extremely low. I think that estimate is that 1 in 20,000 eggs are positive for Salmonella, and eating a Salmonella-positive egg is not a guarantee that you will get sick. Nonetheless, I don't mind doing just the little extra step to reduce the risk from almost nothing to nothing.

Patrick

Patrick, traditional French mousse does not contain gelatin. That defines bavarians. We live in a blurred and blended world so the two have become interchangeable.

Edited by Woods (log)
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Of course traditional French mousse does not contain gelatin - I'm using the word in its modern English usage, not its tradional French usage. Whether its etymologically correct or not, 'mousse' is what most people in my culture would call that foamy caramel dessert set with gelatin.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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I never understand questions like this. What are you asking for is the better question...

Sorry, I thought it was clear. I was wondering what the shelf life of a freshly made "mousse dessert" such as a Concorde would be...

...

re: how old is the cake?

how old is the mousse?

how old were the eggs?

How old were the flavorings?

Did anyone place their hands or fingers in the product? Did they all have good bathroom ettiquette?

The person who cut and plated the cake has the same variables.

I was assuming a freshly made dessert, using freshly made mousse, made with fresh eggs and flavorings. This would be made by someone who knows how to wash their hands after using the bathroom or scratching their crotch or butt, who would have made the dessert in a clean and hygenic manner and who would then also store the dessert in an environment conducive to it's ongoing hygiene and overall prosperity...

I was inquiring about the products shelflife, basically how long could you keep it before serving it?

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First, I'd like to ask everyone to be more considerate of their language and phrasing, please. I think it's safe to assume we are talking about intelligent people who do practice good personal and work hygiene.

I have to admit I'm not familar with a "concorde" so I don't know off hand specificly what type of mousse it contains...........so I can't tell you my experiences with it's shelf life. (I believe Herme has a 'concorde' and it's buttercream and meringue with-out any mousse.) In general I think most cakes, tortes, gateauxs hold for 4 or 5 days. Almost everything tastes better the fresher it is. Typically the flavor will go down hill before the structure of any of it's individual components give way.

To extend your shelf-life freezing is your best option, second is refridgerating and room temp. items typically age the fastest.

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