Vanilla Mousse Berry Jello (Printer-friendly)
Light layers of creamy vanilla mousse over vibrant berry jello create this refreshing summer dessert.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Berry Jello Layer
01 - 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 cups water
04 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
05 - 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder (14 g total)
→ Vanilla Mousse Layer
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 3 large egg yolks
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
11 - 1 tablespoon cold water
12 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
→ Garnish
13 - Fresh berries
14 - Mint leaves
# How-To Guide:
01 - Combine berries, sugar, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, gently mashing berries with a spoon. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and pulp; return liquid to saucepan.
02 - Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes. Stir bloomed gelatin into hot berry liquid until fully dissolved. Add lemon juice and mix well.
03 - Pour berry jello into bottom of serving glasses or trifle dish, filling about halfway. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours until firmly set.
04 - Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into saucepan. Add milk and heat just until steaming. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale. Slowly pour hot milk into yolks, whisking constantly.
05 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
06 - Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water in small bowl; let bloom 5 minutes. Stir into warm custard until dissolved. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent skin formation.
07 - Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into cooled custard until fully combined and smooth.
08 - Once berry jello is set, spoon or pipe vanilla mousse over jello layer. Chill at least 2 hours more until mousse is completely set.
09 - Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves before serving, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Looks like you spent hours but comes together with mostly hands-off chilling time
- The vanilla mousse is cloud-like without being too heavy or sweet
02 -
- If your berry jello layer feels slightly wobbly after two hours, give it more time in the fridge
- Overheating the custard mixture causes curdling, so keep the heat low and stir continuously
03 -
- Wipe the insides of your glasses with a paper towel if any berry splashes up the sides during pouring
- Room temperature custard incorporates into whipped cream without deflating it