Maple Mousse With A Twist

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!  I didn't realise till recently that Canadians celebrate on a different day to the U.S.  For some reason, it's the second Monday of October.  I did a bit of research, but I couldn't really fathom why this day.  Just kind of arbitrary and spontaneous it seems:-)  No Pilgrims or wild turkeys involved here.

I've made this mousse a couple of times before, but I decided it needed a bit of texture (as the MasterChef fellas always say).  I thought of praline - nah, too complicated for a Sunday morning (yes, I made it Sunday).  I thought of nuts, toasted pecans in fact, so that is what I made.  And here it is for your delectation, to celebrate Thanksgiving the Canadian way.

creamy and nutty!

Mousse recipe from the Toronto Sun; nutty topping by Sherry's Pickings:

Serves 4-6:

Ingredients:


For the nuttiness:


100g. pecans

1 tbs maple syrup

big pinch of sea salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp (a small knob) butter

1/8 tsp vanilla extract


For the mousse:


1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup - use the real stuff, my friends

3 large egg yolks 

1 tsp (corn) cornflour - not the wheat one

1 Canadian Tbsp (15 ml) rum or 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream



Method:


Tip the nuts into a small mixing bowl

Now add all the other nutty ingredients

Stir well and place on a lined baking tray 

Bake @ 180C for 8-9 mins; put aside to cool

Chop into small pieces, but leave a handful of larger bits for the top



Now for the mousse - 


Put the maple syrup, egg yolks and cornflour in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan which has a couple of inches of simmering water in it

Whisk these together in the bowl

Keep whisking gently until mixture becomes paler and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 mins

Remove from heat; chill over large bowl of iced water, whisking occasionally

Whisk in the rum or vanilla

Beat cream to firm peaks, and stir about a third of it into the maple mixture

Add about 2/3 of the nuts, and stir into the mousse

Spoon the remaining cream over the maple mixture and fold together gently till nicely mixed - don't go wild here

Spoon into small dishes or bowls

Sprinkle the rest of the toasted nuts on top of the dishes

Cover and refrigerate until set, about 6 hours - but even better the next day


Notes:


A Canadian tablespoon is 14 mLs, but I think we can get away with using 15!

Freeze the egg whites for another day for pavlova, meringue, sorbet and so on

stir the nuts with the other ingredients

bake your nuts @ 180C for 8-9 mins 

deliciously nutty

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Canadian Moosey artwork by Sherry's Pickings