foolish_m0rtal | Strawberry Mousse: Isn't it Romantic?

Perfect for the summer and just the right thing to make at Valentine's Day for ~~that special someone~~ yourself. This will definitely get me to stop sitting alone eating post-Valentine's discount chocolate from CVS whilst watching Quantum Leap reruns. (The chocolate part, not the Quantum Leap part, are you kidding me? Scott Bakula, you're teh man)

Because the cream:strawberries:sugar ratio is a personal choice, this recipe is pretty loose in terms of proportion. I like mine less sweet with more cream and less strawberries, but that's just me.

I put my mousse in a huge bowl and the leftover mousse in wine glasses to make it look pretty, but it's a solid substance a lot like whipped yogurt.

Strawberry Mousse

6-8 oz of strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tblsp. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 envelope of unflavoured gelatin
1.5 tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream

1) Liquefy strawberries with sugar and vanilla in a blender.

2) Sprinkle gelatin evenly over water in a very small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then warm over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir gelatin mixture into strawberries mixture.

3) Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir frequently until a spoonful of gelatin mixture holds its shape briefly before dissolving back into mixture, about 5 minutes.

4) Beat heavy cream in another bowl until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into gelatin mixture.

5) Pour mixture into desired container. Refridgerate for two hours.

Options:

-You can liquefy the strawberries first and then strain out the seeds. I personally don't like the seeds, but everyone else did.

- You can also chop up extra strawberries and mix them into the mousse before you refrigerate it. I prefer a smoother mousse. (a.k.a I ran out of strawberries)

- You can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh. Use a cup of the thawed juice and mix with the gelatin for more flavour.

- Parfait idea: Spoon one third of strawberry mousse into a glass and sprinkle evenly with butter cookie crumbs, then top with half of remaining mousse and then cookie crumbs. Top with more mousse then whipped cream and strawberries. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.