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Blackcurrant and apple mint mousse with blackcurrant leaf water ice

Claire Macdonald from Seasonally Scottish
To balance a rich main course, try Claire Macdonald's delightful dessert offering of minty blackcurrant mousse and fragrant blackcurrant leaf ice

Blackcurrant and apple mint mousse with blackcurrant leaf water ice

Method

1. Put the blackcurrants into a saucepan with the lemon rind and juice and cook over a gentle heat, until they are soft. Leave to cool.

2. Transfer the blackcurrants to a blender; add the mint and blitz to a purée. Pass through a sieve to remove the seeds and lemon rind.

3. Soak the gelatine in a little cold water for 5 minutes, until softened. Dissolve over a very gentle heat and stir into the blackcurrant purée.

4. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale.

5. Fold the blackcurrant purée into the yolk mixture and stir in the dissolved gelatine. Leave to set in a cool place for 30 minutes or so, until the mixture will coat the back of a metal spoon quite thickly.

6. Stir in the whipped cream.

7. Whisk the egg whites until very stiff. Fold them quickly and thoroughly into the blackcurrant mixture.

8. Pour the mousse into a serving dish, and leave to set in a cool place.

9. Meanwhile, make the water ice. Put the water and the sugar into a saucepan with the lemon rind.

10. Stir over moderate heat, until the grains of sugar have dissolved completely. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

11. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice and the blackcurrant leaves. Leave until cold.

12. Strain the liquid and discard the leaves and lemon rind. Pour into a plastic container, and freeze.

13. Remove the frozen purée from the freezer and transfer to a food processor. Whiz until crushed, and refreeze. Repeat the process 4 times, refreezing the purée in between each addition.

14. Remove the water ice from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving. Decorate the mousse with whipped cream.

15. Spoon the mousse into pretty bowls and serve with the water ice and some little almond or vanilla biscuits.

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Serves: 6-8

Prep: 30 min, plus freezing time
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

For the mousse

1kg blackcurrants
2 Lemons, pared rind and juice
handful apple mint leaves
4 sheets leaf gelatine
4 large eggs, separated
175g caster sugar
300ml double cream, lightly whipped