Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Insert

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.

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.

About this 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 detail 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. And yet, feel free to use regular gelatin instead.

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 pancakes and waffles, desserts and ice creams.

Ingredients and substitutes

•  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, and yet 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. And yet, 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 strawberries 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. So, I prefer to add a drop of pink food color gel to enhance the color. Feel free to omit the color if you prefer the natural color.

Step by step instructions

Make 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 ¼ 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.

Make the vanilla pastry cream

• In a heavy saucepan, combine cold milk, sugar, and cornstarch.
• 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 ½ 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 the remaining one cup vanilla pastry cream for the strawberry mousse below.

Make 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 through 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).

Prepare the coulis

• Blend strawberries until smooth.
• In a heavy base saucepan, add water, sugar, and strawberries.
• 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!

SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Inserts and Strawberry Coulis

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 22 votes

Print Pin Rate

Veenaazmanov

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins

Calories: 206kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings

Description

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.

 

Ingredients

For the Hazelnut Cookie Crust

• ▢ 50 grams (0.50 cups) Hazelnut meal ground hazelnuts
• ▢ 128 grams (1.00 cups) All purpose flour
• ▢ 75 grams (5.00 tbsp) Butter unsalted, room temperature
• ▢ 75 grams (⅓ cups) Brown sugar
• ▢ ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 tbsp Milk if needed

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream

• ▢ 500 ml (2.00 cups) Milk
• ▢ 50 grams (0.25 cups) Sugar
• ▢ 4 tbsp Cornstarch cornflour
• ▢ 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste

For the Strawberry Mousse

• ▢ 1 cup (1 cup) Vanilla pastry cream see above
• ▢ 2 cups (10.00 oz) Strawberries
• ▢ ⅓ cup (5.00 tbsp) Sugar
• ▢ ½ tsp Lemon Juice
• ▢ 2 tsp Gelatin or Agar-Agar
• ▢ 2 tbsp Water
• ▢ 250 ml (1 cup) Whipping cream
• ▢ 1 drop Pink gel food color

For the Strawberry Couli

• ▢ 1 cup (5.00 oz) Strawberries
• ▢ 2 tbsp Water
• ▢ 2 tbsp Sugar
• ▢ ½ tsp Clear vanilla - ½ tsp optional

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 ¼ 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

• in a heavy saucepan, combine cold milk, sugar, and cornstarch.
• 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 ½ 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.
• in a heavy saucepan, add water, sugar, and strawberries.
• 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!

Equipment

Meas Cups and Spoons

Stand Mixer

Baking Tray

Nutrition Information

Serving: 129gramsCalories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3.4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 67mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Did you make this recipe? Tag @veenaazmanov on instagram or #hashtag it #veenaazmanov

Related posts:

Classic Strawberry Mousse Mango Mousse Cake with Mango Jello Insert Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream Chocolate Mousse Cake with Mirror Glaze - Video