Friday, March 18, 2011

Yogurt Mousse with Grapefruit Gelée


I love ruby red grapefruit. I love the shock of beautiful bright color and the bold burst of unapologetic tartness that comes with every bite. It’s readily available in most markets and it's full of Vitamin C. I can't resist.

This is a light and refreshing dessert that celebrates the plain goodness of yogurt and the full fresh jolt of citrus. It’s not a fancy preparation or a complex flavor profile or anything particularly clever. It’s just a cool and creamy excursion into the lighter side of the dessert spectrum that is easy to prepare and doesn’t require any special tools. Simple and satisfying, it's a soft and soothing landing place as we head into spring. Ah, spring!

Bench notes:
- This dessert should be consumed the same day it is made.
- When blooming gelatin, do not pour water onto powdered gelatin. Always sprinkle the powder slowly into cold water to avoid clumping, which will not dissolve and ruin the texture of the final product. Once you’ve added the gelatin to the water, do not stir. The gelatin and water mixture will turn opaque. When ready to proceed with incorporating it into the recipe, heat gently to liquefy so it can be combined smoothly and thoroughly with the dessert mixture. So it goes like this: powder combined with water becomes gel and then is transformed into liquid and combined with the ingredients, then chilled to set up.
- Taste your grapefruit juice and adjust the sugar level according to your own preference for sweetness.
- Salt is very important in coaxing maximum flavor out of citrus. Add a few grains and taste. Keep adding a few more until you achieve a deeper and brighter flavor. You’ll know when you get there.
- I'm remembering a really delicious dessert produced in a pastry kitchen where I once worked that was a perfect composition of lemon curd foam, bergamot meringue, Campari gelée and shards of brisée. So if you like Campari, you might want to experiment around with a splash of that.



Yogurt Mousse with Grapefruit Gelée

4 – 6 servings

Yogurt Mousse

1 1/2 t gelatin
2 T water
2 C (16 oz) plain yogurt
1/2 C sugar
1 t lemon juice, to taste
1 C heavy cream

Grapefruit Gelée

1 1/2 t gelatin
2 T water
1 C fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
1/2 t lemon juice
2 T sugar, to taste
pinch of salt, to taste

grapefruit sections for garnish

For the Yogurt Mousse, bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it into a small cup containing 2 tablespoons of cold water. Do not stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the gelatin is fully absorbed.

Whisk together the yogurt and sugar. Add the lemon juice and combine thoroughly.
Whip the heavy cream just to a very soft peak.
Liquefy the gelatin by placing the cup in a pan of shallow simmering water.
Add the gelatin to the yogurt mixture and blend thoroughly.
Fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into four to six serving glasses or cups.
Chill for about 2 hours.

When the Yogurt Mousse has sufficiently set up, begin the preparation of the Grapefruit Gelée.

Bloom the gelatin in a small bowl by sprinkling it into a small cup containing 2 tablespoons of cold water. Do not stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the gelatin is fully absorbed.

Place about 1/4 cup of the grapefruit juice and the sugar in a saucepan and warm over low heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and combine with the remaining 3/4 C grapefruit juice and the lemon juice. Taste for sugar. Add a very small pinch of salt, to taste.

Liquefy the gelatin by placing the cup in a pan of shallow simmering water.
Whisk into the grapefruit juice.
Pour onto the top of the set Yogurt Mousse, distributing equally.
Refrigerate for about an hour or so or until set.
Slice the grapefruit sections into bite sized pieces, garnish and serve.

13 comments:

Elly said...

I love the photos of this, it looks beautiful. You've made me want to go out and get some grapefruit now.

Anonymous said...

This looks so good. I love yogurt based desserts, and I love how elegant this looks.

Do you think it would halve well? If I made it, it might just be for me and my husband.

pastry studio said...

Thank you, Elly. Grapefruit lovers unite!

arugulove, yes. I've cut the recipe in half before and it was fine. I hope you enjoy it!

Phoenix Helix said...

I made this tonight & it was a showstopper! Unique & absolutely delicious. One clarification: in the ingredients you list 1 cup grapefruit juice for the gelee, but in step 10 of the directions, you say "combine with the remaining 1 3/4 cup". I assumed this was a typo & you meant just 3/4 cup, so that's what I did. Did I guess right?

Le Brown Belly said...

This is too brilliant and so simple! I'm going to try this out this evening.

Anonymous said...

Great photos and it looks delicious!

Helene said...

Something that I can easily sink my teeth into! Looks decadent and light at the same time!

Anonymous said...

gelee always makes me think of marcel from top chef. :D
if you are interested, heres a list ofthe Best Sweet Things Abroad and How to get them in America

pastry studio said...

Eileen, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond. For some reason your comment got stuck in the Blogger comment system and I'm just now reading it!

I'm so pleased you enjoyed this dessert! And YES, my typo. It should read, add to the remaining 3/4 C of grapefruit juice. THANK YOU very much for pointing this out and the recipe has been amended. Sorry for the confusion.

Eilee @ Passions to Pastry said...

This sounds (and looks) wonderful! A beautiful dessert and presentation for spring. And yes, I like Campari, so I may have to add a bit of that!

Laura [Novelbite] said...

It's 120 degrees in Phoenix, AZ, and all I've wanted to eat for days is fresh fruit and yogurt. This post is making me whimper. Beautiful photographs and excellent writing!

Unknown said...

Made this for a dinner party. It was beautiful and delicious!

pastry studio said...

Theresa, that's wonderful! I really appreciate hearing back how much you enjoyed it. Thank you!