Veena Azmanov

Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast

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Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Insert

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Strawberry Mousse Domes – Strawberry Mousse Entremet

These strawberry mousse domes make perfect entremets to serve when you want something elegant and delicious. This simple and easy recipe makes a fresh, light and luscious strawberry mousse with a pastry cream insert, served on a hazelnut crust, topped with a dash of strawberry coulis. A great dessert to show off your dessert skills.

A Pinterest Optimized Image for this entremet dessert Strawberry Mousse Domes with pastry cream insert and strawberry coulis

Strawberry Mousse Domes, with Pastry Cream Insert and Strawberry Coulis

What do you do when you want to show off your dessert skills. You take something as simple as a strawberry mousse and complicate it with a few more additions!! I’m not joking!

So, if you love desserts you will love these strawberry mousse domes. They are really simple and easy to make. The only problem is that it involves a bit of planning ahead of time and a few others to jazz it up a bit.

An image showing the vanilla pastry cream insert inside the strawberry mousse dome with the hazelnut cookies crumbled when cut

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Make ahead desserts!!

The good news – all the elements of this dessert can be made ahead of time and then assembled just at the right time. For example

  • You can make this delicious hazelnut cookie crust ahead of time. Either bake the cookies and save them in a cookie jar for later use or chill the dough until you are ready to bake the cookies.
  • The vanilla pastry cream domes can be made ahead of time and stored in the freeze – They will last in the freezer at least a week.
  • The strawberry mousse can be made ahead – just don’t add the gelatin until you are ready to pour into the mold
  • Strawberry coulis is a treat on its own – make head;  better yet make more.. it will store in the fridge for a week. They are great to pour on pancake and waffles, desserts and ice creams.
A close up shot of the pretty strawberry mousse dome decorated with a sugar blossom

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes – Strawberry Mousse Domes (Save/Pin) 

  •  Hazelnut meal – A nut meal is basically just ground nuts. These are available commercially but can be easily made at home in a food processor. I am using hazelnuts here but you could substitute with any other nuts that you love and will pair well with strawberry.
    If you make nut meal at home in a food processor -add a little of the sugar or flour from the recipe to keep it dry so the oils that are released from the nuts will not make a paste instead of a meal.
  • Brown sugar – I love the combination of brown sugar with hazelnuts but you can use the same quantity of white sugar just as well.
  • Cornstarch – I am making an eggless vanilla pastry cream and so I’m using cornstarch instead of egg yolks. This helps thicken the milk and give us the consistency of pastry cream.
  • Strawberries – These are in season at the moment so I have used fresh here but frozen works just as well. Having said that the strawberry can also be substituted with other berries such as raspberries or blackberries.
  • Pink Food Color – The strawberries don’t make the mousse a nice bright pin color as you can see, so I prefer to add a drop of Pink gel food color to enhance it. Feel free to omit the color if you prefer the natural color.
Progress Shot - this is the Strawberry mousse in a pot with a little gel food color.

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Eggless vs Classic Recipe

Today I am keeping this recipe simple and easy, so I have used the eggless vanilla pastry cream as my base. I shared the eggless version in more details in this post here. But you can also use my classic vanilla pastry cream made with egg yolks and you can find the full recipe for that here – Classic Vanilla Pastry Cream. This recipe used agar-agar because it’s a vegetarian substitute for gelatin but feel free to use regular gelatin instead.

Front view of the prertty Strawberry mousse Domes with pastry cream inserts garnished with a sugar blossom

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Recipe – Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Inserts and Strawberry Coulis (Save)

For the Hazelnut Cookie Crust

  • Hazelnut meal – 50 grams
  • All-purpose flour – 120 grams
  • Unsalted butter – 75 grams
  • Brown sugar – 75 grams
  • Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp
  • Milk – 1 tbsp (if needed)

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream

  • Milk – 500 ml
  • Sugar – 50 grams
  • Cornstarch/Cornflour – 4 tbsp
  • Vanilla bean paste – 1 tsp

For the Strawberry Mousse

  • Vanilla pastry cream (above)- 1 cup
  • Strawberries – 2 cups
  • Sugar – 1/3 cup
  • Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
  • Gelatin or agar-agar- 2 tsp
  • Water – 2 tbsp
  • Whipping cream – 1 cup
  • Pink gel food color – 1 drop

For the Strawberry Couli

  • Strawberries – 1 cup
  • Water – 2 tbsp
  • Sugar – 2 tbsp
  • Clear vanilla – 1/2 tsp (optional)
This is the making of the Strawberry Coulis that needs to be cooked until thick for the strawberry Mousse Dome

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Method

For the Hazelnut Cookie Crust

  • Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  • Add vanilla – combine well
  • Add hazelnut meal and flour – combine well
  • If the mixture is still crumbly add milk just enough to form a dough.
  • Wrap in cling film and chill until firm
  • Preheat oven at 180 c / 360 F
  • Roll into a 1/4 inch thick sheet on a lightly floured surface
  • Cut cookie disc the same size of the domes (I used 3 inch round cookie cutter)
  • Place on a baking tray
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 mins until lightly golden
  • Cool completely on a cookie rack before you store in an airtight jar.

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream

  • Combine cold milk, sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy saucepan
  • Cook on medium heat until the milk comes to almost boil.
  • Lower the heat to low and continue to stir until the mixture gets thick and cooks the back of a wooden spoon
  • Add vanilla and remove from heat.
  • Pour in a clean bowl wrapped in cling wrap to cool

Prepare the Vanilla Pastry Cream Domes

  • Use a 1 1/2 inch semi-circle dome for the vanilla pastry cream
  • While still warm or room temperature pour into the domes silicon molds
  • Smooth the top, cover with cling wrap and place in the freezer until firm.
  • Save remaining one cup vanilla pastry cream for the strawberry mousse below.
Progress shot of the vanilla pastry cream dome frozen to be inserted in the strawberry mousse dome

Strawberry Mousse Domes with pastry cream inserts and strawberry coulis

For the Strawberry Mousse

  • Blend the strawberries until smooth
  • Place strawberries and sugar on medium-low heat
  • Cook until the strawberries cook down to almost half the original volume (1 cup)
  • Remove from heat – keep warm
  • Dissolved the gelatin or agar-agar  in 2 tbsp water  – heat in the microwave until dissolved (read notes)
  • Add gelatin/agar-agar mix to the strawberry mixture – let cool slightly
  • While still room temperature – strain thru a sieve and set aside.
  • Add remaining vanilla pastry cream and mix thoroughly
  • Whip the cream to soft peaks
  • Gently fold into the strawberry mixture
  • Add gel food color until well combined.
Progress shot of the making of the strawberry mousse dome showing the pastry cream insert in the strawberry mousse dome.

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

Prepare the Strawberry Dome

  • Use a large 3-inch dome silicon mold
  • Pour some mousse in the dome
  • Insert the vanilla pastry cream dome we created above
  • Shake the mold to help the insert sink in
  • Top with more strawberry mousse
  • Use a spatula to level the top and scrape any excess.
  • Place in the freezer until firm (about 2 to 3 hours)
Progress Shot of the Strawberry Mousse Domes ready to be frozen

Strawberry Mousse Domes, Strawberry Entremets, Filled Strawberry mouse domes

For the Coulis

  • Blend strawberries until smooth.
  • Add water, sugar, and strawberries in a heavy based saucepan
  • Cook on low until the strawberries are cooked completely.
  • Add the vanilla extract (if using)
  • Strain thru a sieve
  • Pour into a clean bowl
  • Chill in the fridge until completely cold and thick

Assemble

  • When the strawberry mousse domes are firm
  • Invert the silicon molds to remove them from the mold
  • Place each dome on the prepared hazelnut cookie crust
  • Top with a teaspoon of thick strawberry coulis –
    Alternatively, you can glaze the whole dome with a pouring consistency strawberry coulis before you place it on the cookie crust.
  • Garnish with a slice of strawberry or mint leaf.
  • Let thaw in the fridge for an hour before you serve so the mousse is soft not frozen.
  • Enjoy!

Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

A Pinterest Optimized image for the Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Insert and Strawberry Coulis.

Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Insert and Strawberry Coulis

These strawberry mousse domes make perfect entremets to serve when you want something elegant and delicious. This simple and easy recipe make a fresh, light and luscious strawberry mousse with a pastry cream insert, served on a hazelnut crust, topped with a dash of strawberry coulis. A great dessert to show off your dessert skills.

Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Inserts and Strawberry Coulis

These strawberry mousse domes make perfect entremets to serve when you want something elegant and delicious. This simple and easy recipe makes a fresh, light and luscious strawberry mousse with a pastry cream insert, served on a hazelnut crust, topped with a dash of strawberry coulis. A great dessert to show off your dessert skills.
 
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Strawberry Entremets
Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings
Calories: 206kcal
Author: Veena Azmanov
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

For the Hazelnut Cookie Crust

  • 50 grams Hazelnut meal
  • 120 grams All purpose flour
  • 75 grams Unsalted butter
  • 75 grams Brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tbsp Milk if needed

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream

For the Strawberry Mousse

  • 1 cup Vanilla pastry cream see above
  • 2 cups Strawberries
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp Gelatin or Agar-Agar
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • 1 cup Whipping cream
  • 1 drop Pink gel food color

For the Strawberry Couli

  • 1 cup Strawberries
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Clear vanilla - 1/2 tsp optional
Metric - US customary

Instructions

For the Hazelnut Cookie Crust

  • Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  • Add vanilla - combine well
  • Add hazelnut meal and flour - combine well
  • If the mixture is still crumbly add milk just enough to form a dough.
  • Wrap in cling film and chill until firm
  • Preheat oven at 180 c / 360 F
  • Roll into a 1/4 inch thick sheet on a lightly floured surface
  • Cut cookie disc the same size of the domes (I used 3 inch round cookie cutter)
  • Place on a baking tray 
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 mins until lightly golden
  • Cool completely on a cookie rack before you store in an airtight jar.

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream

  • Combine cold milk, sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy saucepan
  • Cook on medium heat until the milk comes to almost boil.
  • Lower the heat to low and continue to stir until the mixture gets thick and cooks the back of a wooden spoon
  • Add vanilla and remove from heat.
  • Pour in a clean bowl wrapped in cling wrap to cool

Prepare the Vanilla Pastry Cream Domes

  • Use a 1 1/2 inch semicircle dome for the vanilla pastry cream
  • While still warm or room temperature pour into the domes silicon molds
  • Smooth the top, cover with cling wrap and place in the freezer until firm.
  • Save remaining one cup vanilla pastry cream for the strawberry mousse below.

For the Strawberry Mousse

  • Blend the strawberries until smooth
  • Place strawberries and sugar on medium-low heat
  • Cook until the strawberries cook down to almost half the original volume (1 cup)
  • Remove from heat - keep warm
  • Dissolved the gelatin or agar-agar  in 2 tbsp water  - heat in the microwave until dissolved (read notes)
  • Add gelatin/agar-agar mix to the strawberry mixture - let cool slightly 
  • While still room temperature - strain thru a sieve and set aside.
  • Add remaining vanilla pastry cream and mix thoroughly
  • Whip the cream to soft peaks
  • Gently fold into the strawberry mixture 
  • Add gel food color until well combined.

Prepare the Strawberry Dome

  • Use a large 3-inch dome silicon mold
  • Pour some mousse in the dome
  • Insert the vanilla pastry cream dome we created above
  • Shake the mold to help the insert sink in
  • Top with more strawberry mousse
  • Use a spatula to level the top and scrape any excess.
  • Place in the freezer until firm (about 2 to 3 hours)

For the Coulis

  • Blend strawberries until smooth.
  • Add water, sugar, and strawberries in a heavy based saucepan
  • Cook on low until the strawberries are cooked completely.
  • Add the vanilla extract (if using)
  • Strain thru a sieve
  • Pour into a clean bowl
  • Chill in the fridge until completely cold and thick
  • Assemble
  • When the strawberry mousse domes are firm
  • Invert the silicon molds to remove them from the mold
  • Place each dome on the prepared hazelnut cookie crust
  • Top with a teaspoon of thick strawberry coulis - Alternatively you can glaze the whole dome with a pouring consistency strawberry coulis before you place it on the cookie crust.
  • Garnish with a slice of strawberry or mint leaf.
  • Let thaw in the fridge for an hour before you serve so the mousse is soft not frozen.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 129grams | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%
Tried this recipe?Mention @veenaazmanov or tag #veenaazmanov!

Do you love desserts? Especially Mousse Recipes?
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This apple mousse is the perfect dessert when you needs something rich but light and indulgent. The fall flavors of apple and cinnamon with the creamy textures of the mousse can be a comfort food perfect for any dessert table with family or friends this time of the year.

 

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Comments

  1. Made these last week and they were so easy to make. They do look impressive but not so complicated. Thank you for sharing we loved it.

    Reply

  2. Thanks for the reply! One more question: when do I add the reserved pastry creme to the mousse? Thanks again!

    Reply

  7. Hi Veena,
    Thanks for the recipe was thinking what to make for this valentine . strawberry being her favorite fruit i know she gona love my surprise . Thanks a lot

    Reply

  8. I will try this dessert with almond meal crust as hazelnut is allergic to my son. I like the strawberry mouse and strawberry coluis. My kids will like it for sure.

    Reply

  11. This is one of the most prettiest desserts I’ve ever seen. You make it sound so easy to make too. Love the fact that many of the components can be made ahead of time. These look perfect Valentine’s day treat.

    Reply

  12. What an adorable looking dessert! You do such a great job with individual treats. The presentation is super sophisticated! I’m going to have to look into those silicone molds. I’d love to make that for Valentines Day but I couldn’t gather everything up in time. This would make a great spring and summer dessert.

    Reply

  15. If I can make that I would be the star in my house. That looks so pretty Veena and I can’t even imagine doing that. Your post is so detailed, that I want to give it a try. Love the fact that everything can be made ahead of time.

    Reply

    • Thank you Sandhya. I have not doubt you already are a star!! Your dishes are absolutely amazing. This looks very elegant and sophisticated but it’s really simple and easy to make. I have not doubt you will have fun and surprise yourself.

      Reply

  17. This is like a work of art! Love it however I am not sure if I will eb able to do it as perfect as yours. This looks like a fancy restaurant quality dessert. I want some!

    Reply

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