When I’m looking for a dessert to serve or take to a holiday party, I search for something rich, creamy, & decadent. For me, that usually means something chocolate. Unbelievably, not everyone is addicted to chocolate, so, to temper my personal preferences, I often ask Eric for his input. He is not addicted to chocolate. Recently, when I was looking for a holiday party dessert recipe, I asked him which recipe he thought would be best for the occasion. His pick fulfills the rich, creamy & decadent requirements even though it does not contain a bit of chocolate. It utilizes cranberries and maple syrup to make a spectacular dessert.
Cranberries, often in sauce form, are most closely associated with the Thanksgiving holiday but the bright red color of the berries makes them perfect for Christmas dishes as well. Their tartness rounds out the richness of the foods they are served with, in this case, maple mousse. For this recipe, pecans and brown sugar make a gingersnap tasting crust layer. Maple syrup is added to a meringue then combined with whipped cream to make the mousse portion of the pie. The slices of pie are topped off with some candied cranberries for a perfectly luscious ending to a holiday meal!
Maple Mousse Pie with Candied Cranberries
Maple Mousse Pie with Candied Cranberries (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 30 minutes plus 8 hours freezing time, Active Time: 45 minutes, Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
Crust
- 2 cups (8 ounces) pecans
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Mousse
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Candied Cranberries
- 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for about 8 minutes, until they are fragrant. Let them cool completely.
In a food processor, pulse the pecans, sugar, nutmeg, and salt until the nuts are finely chopped.
Combine the nuts with the sugar in a food processor for the crust.
Add the butter and pulse to incorporate it.
Add the butter to the crust ingredients.
Press the crumbs into a 9- or 10-inch springform pan in an even layer. Refrigerate the crust until it is firm.
Press the crust into the springform pan.
In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil. Simmer it over moderate heat until it is slightly reduced and a candy thermometer inserted in the syrup registers 235°F, about 8 minutes. The syrup needs to be monitored so it does not boil over.
Simmer the maple syrup until it reaches 235°F.
Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until firm peaks form.
Whip the egg whites.
With the mixer at medium speed, drizzle the hot maple syrup into the whites and beat them together until the maple syrup is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat the meringue until it has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
Add the maple syrup to the meringue.
In a separate large bowl, beat the heavy cream with the vanilla until soft peaks form.
Whip the cream to soft peaks.
Fold the meringue into the whipped cream until they are well blended.
Add the maple meringue to the whipped cream.
Scoop the mousse into the crust and spread it evenly.
Spoon the mousse into the crust.
Freeze the pie until it is firm, at least 8 hours. The mousse will be firm but not solid like ice cream.
Allow the mousse to firm up in the freezer,
In the top part of a double boiler, combine the sugar and water for the candied cranberries. Placing the top part directly on the stove, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Make the simple syrup for the cranberries.
When the syrup is clear in color, add the cranberries to the top part and set the pan over the bottom half of the double boiler that has some water in it. Cook the cranberries undisturbed over very low heat until the syrup is rosy and the cranberries are tender but not broken down, about 40 – 45 minutes. Remove the top part from the saucepan and let the cranberries cool completely. Refrigerate them until the mousse is ready.
Add the cranberries to the simple syrup.
When the mousse is ready, remove the ring from the springform pan.
Remove the ring from the springform pan.
Cut the mousse pie into wedges and transfer the slices to plates. Spoon some candied cranberries over each piece and serve.
Serve the pie with some candied cranberries.
The mousse pie can be frozen for up to 4 days. The candied cranberries can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Festive & delicious! ~Linda
Maple Mousse Pie with Candied Cranberries (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 30 minutes plus 8 hours freezing time, Active Time: 45 minutes, Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
Crust
- 2 cups (8 ounces) pecans
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Mousse
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Candied Cranberries
- 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for about 8 minutes, until they are fragrant. Let them cool completely.
In a food processor, pulse the pecans, sugar, nutmeg, and salt until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the butter and pulse to incorporate it. Press the crumbs into a 9- or 10-inch springform pan in an even layer. Refrigerate the crust until it is firm.
In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil. Simmer it over moderate heat until it is slightly reduced and a candy thermometer inserted in the syrup registers 235°F, about 8 minutes. The syrup needs to be monitored so it does not boil over.
Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until firm peaks form. With the mixer at medium speed, drizzle the hot maple syrup into the whites and beat them together until the maple syrup is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat the meringue until it has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, beat the heavy cream with the vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold the meringue into the whipped cream until they are well blended. Scoop the mousse into the crust and spread it evenly. Freeze the pie until it is firm, at least 8 hours. The mousse will be firm but not solid like ice cream.
In the top part of a double boiler, combine the sugar and water for the candied cranberries. Placing the top part directly on the stove, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the syrup is clear in color, add the cranberries to the top part and set the pan over the bottom half of the double boiler that has some water in it. Cook the cranberries undisturbed over very low heat until the syrup is rosy and the cranberries are tender but not broken down, about 40 – 45 minutes. Remove the top part from the saucepan and let the cranberries cool completely. Refrigerate them until the mousse is ready.
When the mousse is ready, remove the ring from the springform pan. Cut the mousse pie into wedges and transfer the slices to plates. Spoon some candied cranberries over each piece and serve.
The mousse pie can be frozen for up to 4 days. The candied cranberries can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.