Brazilian desserts somehow feel like a warm embrace after a hard day at work, and mousse de maracuja is precisely such a type of comfort. It is the type of candy that you do not really think about, you just feel that it is the right thing to eat, no matter what occasion you have, a lazy Sunday lunch, and that sweet follows the lunch, or you are hot on a sunny afternoon, and you take that candy out of the fridge
This creamy passion fruit mousse has been a beloved recipe in Brazilian homes for generations, passed down by mothers and grandmothers alike. This is not because it is fancy, on the contrary. It takes almost no time to prepare and requires minimal ingredients, and it tastes like sunshine in a spoon. It appears everywhere, in family reunions, in cafes, at grandma at home, and even in Tupperware wrappings after a large barbecue
Background A Bit
In Brazil, maracuja is not a simple fruit; it is a staple. The viney and golden fruit with its acidic, delicately flavoured pulp of the fruit is used in juices, cakes, sauces, and even mousse. This specific dessert was famous not only due to its sunny tropical taste but also because of how easy it is to make. No kitchen, no oven, no stove, just mix, blend, pour and chill.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh passion fruit pulp (with or without seeds)
- 1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (300ml) heavy cream or table cream
Optional for garnish:
- For a tropical burst, drizzle with passion fruit syrup or sprinkle with fresh seeds.
- Mint leaves
- Crushed cookies on the side
Substitutes:
- Short on fresh passion fruit? No fresh fruit? No problem! The frozen pulp works just as beautifully
- No table cream? Use whipping cream or double cream
- Too sweet not to your liking? To lighten up, replace half of the dairy with plain yoghurt
When to Make
Mousse de maracuja is something that you can make when you want to have a Sunday meal, a birthday party, a potluck or simply because you have some leftover condensed milk. It is that kind of dessert, which you make in the morning, and forget in the fridge and smile later in the evening when you think about what you forgot.
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the fruit and spoon the pulp into a bowl in the case of using fresh passion fruit. In case you like the seeds, retain them. Don’t strain them out unless you want to
Step 2: Place the passion fruit pulp, condensed milk and the cream in a blender. Whisk until smooth in 45 seconds. Taste and stop- add a little more condensed milk by way of an afterthought, in case it is too tangy
Step 3: Place the mousse in small bowls, cups or a glass dish. With a spoon, smooth ridges off the tops
Step 4: Put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. It settles down and improves with more time. Better still at night
Step 5: Top with some passion fruit seeds or syrup, or leave plain. It will be gorgeous
Serving Tips
This dessert should preferably be served cold, out of the fridge. For a fresh finish, garnish with a sprig of mint or a spoonful of passion fruit seeds for added texture. To flaunt its silky texture, serve it in glass cups. Pair it with flaky, golden biscuits for a match made in comfort-food heaven
Preacuations
- Do not use so sweet juices, bottled ones, as it may be disbalancing
- Never blend so much; simply a little mix to smooth it up
- Refrigerate it. When it is a bit too warm, it will not set
- Sample as you move. Your fruit can be more tangy or sweeter depending on the place of origin
More About Passion Fruit
Mousse de Maracuja is not only a dessert, it is a pause. It is the things of putting yourself down with a spoonful of chilled passion fruit, closing your eyes and allowing that savour of bright passion fruit blow across your taste buds as a warming south breeze in Bahia. It is cooked with love, and it is served with comfort, and it is remembered long after the last spoonful.
