It’s summer! We need cool, refreshing desserts that require little to no cooking and not too much effort. Passion Fruit Mousse is the answer. It’s sweetness with a tang is perfect for hot weather. This fully satisfying version of Passion Fruit Mousse, with a chocolate-crumb crust, checks all the boxes.
The first issue is acquiring the passion fruit. I have found that fresh passion fruits are hard to find and very expensive. Also it takes so many to make enough for this dessert that I have resorted to frozen passion fruit purée. If you can’t find it at your neighborhood stores, it can be ordered online. There’s also a nonfrozen bottled version, but I have never tried it.
Here is the one that I use.
Frozen purée.
Just for authenticity sake, I generally add one or two fresh passion fruits, but this step is completely optional. If you choose to use all fresh passion fruits, keep all measurements the same as listed here.
The Chocolate Cookie Crust
I use Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies (sadly becoming more difficult to find at local supermakrets). Pulverize them in your food processor.
Pulverizing Chocolate Wafers.
Then pulse with a little sugar and some unsalted butter.
Pulse in the butter.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch springform. Bake at 350° for about 5 minutes. Let it cool, then chill it in the refrigerator.
Baked cookie crust.
The Mousse
If using the optional passion fruits, scrape out the seeds and warm gently on the stove to make it easier to get at the pulp. Strain as much pulp as possible.
Straining purée.
Moisten gelatin with 1/4 cup of cold passion fruit nectar. This is easily found in supermarkets, and I prefer it to using water so that the flavor is not diluted.
Moisten gelatin in juice.
Measure out the frozen or bottled passion fruit purée. If you are using the frozen variety, let it thaw out. Add a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, sugar, and the optional fresh passion fruit purée. I use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, but you may want to adjust that to your own taste.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 of the passion fruit mixture with the moistened gelatin. Warm over very low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Warming gelatin to dissolve.
Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining passion fruit purée. Cool in ice water, stirring occasionally until the purée begins to thicken. Remove it from the ice bath as soon as it does. Do not let it set.
Chilling purée in ice bath.
Whip heavy cream until it forms medium-thick peaks. Thoroughly stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cooled passion fruit mixture.
Stir in some cream.
Then gently fold in the remaining cream.
Fold in remaining cream.
Pour the mousse into the springform over the cookie crust. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight until the mousse is set.
Carefully remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Cut into slices and serve.
