White Chocolate Mousse, Ideal for Filling Cakes & Pastries (No Relation to Bullwinkle)

This year, I decided to make my buche de noël even more decadent that it was before, and stuff it madly with a rich mousse. Indeed, a nice, rich white chocolate mousse with orange liqueur and coconut cream made its way into this year's yule log. And it is even naughtier than it sounds…but it does take a little planning ahead, especially as it comes to the coconut cream. You can work around it by substituting whole milk, but it will change both the flavor and the texture.

Any way you look at it, though, it's a very rich treat, and it holds up nicely in the refrigerator, and fills a buche de noël rather well. And, it's not overly complicated, as recipes go.

Plus, I had enough left over to spoil myself with a modest serving for lunch, today.

Christmas is good.

Fluffy, rich, and surrounded by dark chocolate bliss…decadence in all ways.

Very Naughty White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1 1/4 cup) good finishing (dipping/dessert quality) white chocolate
1/3 cup coconut cream* (NOT creme of coconut)

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder (1 packet Knox gelatin)
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or your own preference of brand)

2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl or the top of a double boiler, gently melt the white chocolate.

Meanwhile, in another microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let "bloom" by allowing to stand about 5 minutes.

Gently melt the gelatin in the microwave (do not boil!).

Heat the coconut cream to melt, and, whisking quickly,  mix in to the melted white chocolate until completely smooth. Add in the gelatin mixture and liqueur, and whisk until smooth.

In a stand mixer's bowl, combine powdered sugar and cream, and, using the whisk attachment, whip to form firm peaks.

Scoop about one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and stir in to lighten the chocolate. When fully mixed, gently fold into the remaining whipped cream.

If using in cake or pastries, use immediately, or refrigerate until within an hour of serving time.

With darkly fudgy, gluten-free chocolate sponge cake with fudgy frosting for a sinful buche de noël…

If serving as straight mousse dessert, scoop into serving-sized dishes, cover with a sheet of plastic (to prevent crust from forming), and chill until serving time. Garnish with fresh raspberries or other fruit and light fruit syrup, or serve plain. It's pretty darned good, any way you take it.

*Coconut cream is the product of a can (or jar) of good-quality coconut milk. Place your container of coconut milk in the refrigerator at least overnight, in upside-down position. When ready to begin this recipe, open can from top without shaking or unduly agitating it, and drain away the watery stuff into another sealable container and re-refrigerate, for use in other recipe. Scoop out the thick, lumpy, hardened white stuff. That is the coconut cream you want to use in this recipe (you can have a little bit of the water in it, if you want, but you want to keep it as thick and "fatty" and flavorful as possible).