This week I had a happy problem. I realized I had a lot of passion fruit pulp in my freezer! So on Instagram, I asked you what you wanted me to make and many of you mentioned passion fruit mousse :). What a genius idea! This passion fruit mousse is absolutely delicious, with a layer of crumble and an amazing sauce. Also, it’s really easy to make.
The best thing about this mousse is how easy it is to make. It doesn’t need eggs or gelatin. Instead, we add consistency using cream cheese. The result is an ultra-creamy, soft and not at all dense mousse. It has a lovely passion fruit flavour with that tanginess we all love. Also, I added a crumble at the base that’s soooo good! You can replace it for ground cookies but honestly, this is SO much better. Now, if you prefer chocolate, go check out my velvety chocolate mousse recipe.
You can assemble the mousse in individual containers like I did or in a trifle dish. The recipe makes enough for 6 people, so it would be a small trifle. If you want to make a REAL TRIFLE DISH then go for double the recipe :). I love individual desserts, I think it’s nice to take the time to prepare a portion for everyone, It even looks lovely in a table if you have them all lined up. However, who can deny a trifle dish is stunning? Lol, clearly I’m torn.
If you do make a trifle out of it, I recommend that you make 2 or 3 layers of each component. In this way, you guarantee that everyone will get a bit of everything. In the case of individual dishes or containers, it’s easier since you can reach the bottom with a spoon. The passion fruit sauce is really intense and works amazing with the dessert. The first time I made it was for my pavlova roulade.
Ingredients
For the crumble
- 50 g unsalted butter cold and cut in cubes
- 65 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the passion fruit
- 400 g passion fruit pulp
- 100 g granulated sugar
For the mousse
- Passion fruit from above
- 220 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 200 g whipping cream cold, straight from the fridge
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
For the crumble
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Use your fingers to pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no bits of butter visible. Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor.
- Spread the crumble on a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silpat. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
- Let it cool down completely and crumble it up with your fingers. Reserve.
For the passion fruit
- Cook the pulp (with seeds and all) with the sugar over medium-high heat until you have half the original volume.
- Divide the result into two (I weigh it and divide it exactly): one part will be our sauce and the other one you will strain for the mousse.
- Let both cool down completely before using them.
For the passion fruit mousse
- Whip up the cream cheese and strained passion fruit from above. Do it until it's very smooth and doesn't have lumps. If you're using a stand mixer, remember to stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Remove the mix from the bowl and wash it or use another one for the cream. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until light and fluffy. You don't want it to be super stiff like you would for decorating a cake but rather a bit less than that, with a medium peak.
- Add half the whipped cream to the cream cheese and passion fruit mix and incorporate them using folding motions. Repeat with the other half of the cream.
- To assemble the mousse, you can layer the flavours in individual containers or in a small trifle dish. If you want to use a large trifle dish, it's best to double the recipe. Place a bit of crumble at the base, followed by mousse and finish it off with the sauce. If you're using a trifle dish you can make 2-3 layers.