white chocolate mousse with strawberries and pink peppercorns
I’m having my own private love affair with white chocolate and strawberries at the moment and I have been wanting to make a mousse for a while. I knew I would top it with macerated strawberries, and then the inspiration to spice it up with pink peppercorns hit my like bolt of lightning.
The dessert is delicious without them – I did both, but the pink peppercorns add a slightly floral note with a subtle layer of heat.
I love black peppercorns and strawberries together and have made a basil and black pepper infused sorbet before, but I think pink peppercorns are more gentle in taste and better suited here. They worked so well when I added them to meringues.
*cooks notes ~ The strawberries give off their own juice after you add the peppery sugar, and a few stirs helps to release this and dissolve the sugar. I love to use a good quality white chocolate like Valrhona. What you put in is what you get out.
Recipe | makes 6 portions
- 12 – 14 strawberries, cut up into small pieces
- 1/2t pink peppercorns
- 2T caster sugar
- 300g good quality white chocolate
- 100ml milk
- 1 cup cream
- 2 egg whites
- 3T castor sugar
In a pestle and mortar grind up the peppercorns with the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar until it s fine pink powder. Mix this with the chopped or sliced up strawberries and allow to macerate
In a double boiler melt the chocolate and milk together, then set aside to cool.
Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks, set aside.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks and then add the 3 tablespoons of caster sugar slowly as if you were making meringues. Continue to beat until the mix is glossy, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
When the chocolate mixture is cooled (just off luke warm temperature), gently fold it into the egg white and cream. Mix this lightly so as to keep the air in the mix, and as soon as its incorporated, divide it up into your serving containers. Cover and refrigerate until set (this will happen fairly quickly).
Top with a spoon of strawberries just before you serve.
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Mmmm looks good!
Mouthwatering! xx
Thanks Tami 🙂
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this.
Absolutely gorgeous Sam!!
I find white chocolate can be a little too sweet sometimes so this flavour combination is absolutely perfect! Plus the pink peppercorns look so incredibly beautiful along with the pretty pink strawberries.
Thanks Little loaf, it definitely needs the less sweet strawberries to break it down 🙂
Thanks Anina 🙂
Yeah, Friday dessert idea solved…definitely gonna make this. PS the salted caramel on ice cream was a hit and I still have a whole jar of the liquid gold 🙂
Stunning (as usual!) and I love the thought of pink peppercorns to counterbalance the rich and sweet white chocolate.
Strawberries and white chocolate is a heavenly combination – this looks killer!
looks yummy!!
Glad you like the salted caramel Robin. Its my all time best.
I have am obsessed with dark chocolate and pink peppercorns so can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks Sam!
I am obsessed with dark chocolate and pink peppercorns so can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks Sam!
What an interesting addition to the dish. I would never have thought of adding pink peppercorns.
Hi Suzanne – *waves*. Yes, pink peppercorn is divine in desserts. I’ve made meringues with them and recently saw someone mention shortbread with them. Keen to try that next 🙂
Lisa, I think a dark choc brownie with pink peppercorns could be divine.
Hello – I just discovered your blog maybe 5 minutes ago from Food Gawker. I must say your photography is gorgeous! I can’t help but stare, especially at these beauties. I have pink peppercorns in my pantry that I have yet to use. Might need to try this soon!
Thanks Carla, pink peppercorns work really well in sweet things. I have made meringues and have heard about it in shortbread.
Hi Sam. Do you think this mousse could be used as cupcake frosting?
Hi Asanda, I think once its set it can be piped onto a cupcake, but it would probably need to stay in the fridge. The fridge can dry cupcakes out, so store in a sealed plastic tub.
Following my Mum’s suggestion of chocolate mousse when I asked what I should make for pudding when my in-laws come for dinner tonight, I found this recipe a day or so ago on Pinterest.
My five mousses (I had trouble with portion control this afternoon…) have just been popped in the fridge and I’m busy wiping a ring of chocolate mousse from my face having dived rather voraciously into the bowl to ‘clean it up’ for the dishwasher.
I just wanted to drop a note to say that your recipe has made the most gorgeous mousse – creamy, not too sweet and so very fluffy – I used Green & Black’s Fairtrade organic white chocolate (30% cocoa), and the mousse has all the lovely vanilla seeds all the way through. Along with the peppercorn strawberries (also delicious) I also made some dark choclate dipped cherries – cause I was feeling all fancy after watching the Great British Bake Off, so they shall sit on a dish, too. Thanks so much for sharing.
Ali
P.S. Your photography is just lovely.
Hi Ali, thank you for the lovely comment and thanks so much for letting me know. Made my day.
Sam x
Hi Sam. If I can’t find pink peppercorns (as I don’t remember ever seeing them at the supermarket, although maybe Woolies will have them), I presume it is fine to just leave them out? Thanks. Kim
Hi Kim, so for the delayed reply. Yes, simply leave them out. It was just me being all ‘chef gy’ ????