Christmas Tree Mint Cheesecake Mousse

Are you a fan of creamy cheesecake? How does rich, fluffy mousse sound? Perhaps some cool mint? I love all three, so I put them together into one amazing dessert. (If I do say so myself. Which I do. It's really, really good.) And because it's winter, I put served my cheesecake mousse in Christmas tree creme brulee dishes. My dishes are about 15 years old, so I couldn't find an exact match, but here are some similar tree-shaped dishes that should work. Or, try this really cute set of tree dishes (affiliate links here and throughout the post). 

 

Mint Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar, divided
• 1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp. mint extract
• 2-3 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• Leaf Green gel food color
• star and circle sprinkles

Steps: 

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 c. powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside. 

In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes on the highest speed. Add the remaining 1/2 c. of powdered sugar and the mint extract. 

Remove 1/4 c. of the cream cheese mixture and put it into a small bowl. Stir in the cocoa powder, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture has the consistency of a truffle. Set it aside. 

Return to the mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and mint extract. Add the food color, a small amount at a time, until you get a shade of green that is slightly darker than you want the final color to be. I like to stick a toothpick into the gel, then swirl the toothpick through the mixture until it stops giving off color. Then use a clean toothpick to repeat the process. It usually takes me 2-3 toothpicks' worth to get the shade I want. 

Gently fold the whipped cream into the green mixture. Scoop it into the dishes, then fill in the trunk area with the truffle mix. 

Add a star to the top of each, then add as many sprinkles as you'd like. 

You can serve them immediately, but they're even better after they chill for a few hours. This recipe makes six servings. 

Trust me - this mint cheesecake mousse is DELICIOUS.

Frosty Lemon Mousse

Continuing on with the week's lemon theme, I did some experimentation in the kitchen and came up with a frosty lemon mousse. It's tart and sweet and creamy and refreshing. And since it doesn't have eggs, it's not cooked and won't heat up the kitchen.

Frosty Lemon Mousse

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 3/4 c. sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 c. lemon juice
• 2 T. lemon zest, divided

Steps:

In a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds medium peaks. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and 1.5 T. lemon zest. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture, then spoon it into parfait dishes. Garnish with remaining zest. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for a soft and creamy mousse with the texture of Greek yogurt. 

Freeze for at least 2 hours for a firmer mousse. Let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for the texture of creamy frozen lemonade. 

I can attest to the fact that it's delicious either way, though I may have to make another batch just to be certain!

What do you think of my lemon slice coaster? I'll share that tutorial tomorrow. 

Rice Krispie Treat Pig with Chocolate Mousse Mud

You guys, I am ridiculously pleased with myself because this pig turned out even better than I'd planned. It's inspired by friend Doreen. Doreen has a pet pig (Hamlet) and she is constantly showing off yummy desserts on her blog. 

My pig is made of Rice Krispie Treats and is sitting in chocolate mousse. Hamlet is black, not pink, and is a house pig, so I don't think he does much mud-wallowing. So I took some artistic license with my creation. 

But I didn't forget the curly tail. 

Read on to learn how I made it. Once I figured everything out, it was actually quite easy. (And delicious.) Affiliate links below. 

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Rice Krispie Treat Pig with Chocolate Mousse Mud

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whipping cream (thought I might have found something Amazon doesn't sell - nope)
• 6 oz. good-quality chocolate
• Starburst (pink)
• Rice Krispie Treat
• Wilton Candy Melts (white and red)
• Lollipop stick
• Parchment paper
• Wilton candy eyes

Steps: 

Put 1/2 c. cream into a bowl and gently warm it (I did 30 seconds in the microwave). Use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate. Put half of the chocolate into the warm cream and let it sit for about two minutes, then whisk it together. Add the rest of the chopped chocolate and whisk until it is smooth. (Congrats - you've made ganache!)

Pour the remaining 1/2 c. cream into a large bowl and whip it to medium peaks. Gently fold half of the cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest of the cream. (Congrats - you've made mousse!) Gently spread the mousse into a shallow container and put it in the refrigerator to set up. 

Unwrap a pink Starburst and roll it out on a clean surface. 

Cut out a snout and two ears. I used a knife for the ears and an ancient cookie cutter for the snout (but I totally want this set. Imagine the possibilities!!) Don't eat the Starburst scraps (yet). First, roll a snake then twist it into a tail. Roll two itty bitty balls, then flatten them and put them on the snout to make the nostrils. Now you can eat the scraps. 

Now it's time to coat the rice krispie treat to make it pink. I melted 8 white Candy Melts with 1 red Candy Melt and it was the perfect amount for a single pig. (I did 45 seconds at 50% power in a glass container and then stirred, but every microwave is different).

The easiest way to get good Candy Melt coverage without too much waste or too much mess is to insert a stick into the short end of the rectangular rice krispie treat and spread the melted candy on using a knife. When it is covered on all sides, set it down on a piece of parchment paper. 

Let the candy set up for a minute or two, then place the snout, eyes, and ears in position. Let the candy firm up completely, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (Don't put it in the freezer, as it turns out that the condensation makes the eyeballs run when it comes to room temp.) Peel the pig up from the parchment paper. It would make a fun treat just like this, but the mud/mousse makes it more awesome. 

Remove the mousse from the refrigerator. It should have set up considerably so that it holds the pig upright without slumping. (If not, return the mousse to the fridge sans pig and try again later.)

Finally, nestle the pig's tail behind the pig into the mousse. 

Adorable, if I do say so myself! And sooooo yummy!