The Spiced Life

Musings & Recipes From My Kitchen

  • Home
  • About Me
  • FAQ
  • Dishes By Region
  • Archive and Index
  • Creative Cookie Exchange
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / balsamic / White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar: #ChocolateParty

White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar: #ChocolateParty

May 6, 2013 By Laura 21 Comments

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Yummly
  • Twitter
  • Email

White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Balsamic

I should have known better than to sing the praises of the gorgeous spring weather we’ve been having! Today was cold and rainy. Absolutely miserable. But not snow at least, with apologies to my friends west of me. With rain at least I can tell myself that April early May showers bring May flowers and just accept that I will spend the day inside working.

Cold and drizzly or sunny and warm, has anyone else noticed how incredibly wonderful the strawberries have been this spring? Quite sweet with a pleasing edge of tart, and just plain strong (I hate weak berries that taste like they have sat in a container for weeks), these are the kind of strawberries you don’t need to find a use for, you can just eat them straight out of the box. By the handfuls.

Strawberries Drizzled with Balsamic on White Chocolate Mousse

Happily for all of us, the Chocolate Party theme this month is strawberries and chocolate, and it is a great year to be inspired to create delicious desserts with strawberries. Now to tell the truth, I was flummoxed a bit at first because as you may have heard me mention I actually dislike fruit and chocolate. But as soon as I confirmed that white chocolate counted, I knew finding a dessert would be easy. I am not a huge fan of straight white chocolate, but it cannot be beat for combining with acidic fruit flavors, as they brighten and sharpen white chocolate’s unctuous sweetness.

chocolate Party

The inspiration for this dish struck after tasting the Ah Love Oil & Vinegar Strawberry Vinegar and realizing just how rich and sweet it was. And by the way, I swear I am not on their payroll! But I have just found their vinegars in particular to be super inspiring when brainstorming recipes lately. And I knew that fresh strawberries would be fantastic with white chocolate mousse, but I could not get rid of the idea that their strawberry balsamic vinegar might elevate the dish into something really special.

White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Balsamic

The verdict? John and I loved it. Sammy really liked it. Alex did not at all, although amusingly I think it was more the white chocolate that bothered her than the balsamic. If you cannot get a good syrupy infused balsamic vinegar, I would buy a decent but inexpensive balsamic and reduce it with dried strawberries in it. Then strain and use. Another option would be to use a strawberry lemon syrup, made similarly, only with the addition of sugar.

A quick reminder: don’t forget to enter my giveaway for an OXO egg beater! You have until this Saturday night!

If you want to participate in Chocolate Party, just make a recipe with chocolate (any color!) and strawberries. Follow these rules, and then link up below:

1.) Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose. It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.

2.) Include a link back to a monthly round-up or the Chocolate Party page. Optional, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar.

3.) Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.

And here is the linky:




5.0 from 2 reviews
#ChocolateParty: White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
 
Print
White Chocolate Mousse closely adapted from Alice Medrich
Author: TheSpicedLife
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • For the mousse:
  • 9 oz white chocolate, finely chopped (use a good quality chocolate; it should have cocoa butter in it)
  • 4 T water
  • 2 T vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 2 t vanilla bean paste (or scrape seeds out of a vanilla bean)
  • For assembling:
  • 1 lb strawberries, half of them sliced
  • white chocolate mousse
  • strawberry infused balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. For the mousse: Place the chocolate, vanilla extract and water in a heat proof bowl. Either melt over a double boiler or in the microwave at 30% power for 3 minutes. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla bean paste (or seeds) and set aside to cool. The chocolate must cool to about 85 F (Medrich notes a small dab on the lip should feel cool; I used a thermometer)–do not let it cool lower than 85 F as the mousse will end up grainy. When the mousse is getting close to 85 F, it is time to fix the cream.
  2. Whip the cream in a medium bowl “only until it is thickened and barely beginning to hold a shape–when you tilt the bowl it should flow to one side, fluffy but still pourable…”–I have quoted Medrich here as she emphasizes that you will think the cream is not whipped enough but it is and she is right. It should barely be whipped.
  3. Scrape the cream into the 85 F bowl of chocolate and quickly but gently fold the 2 together until they are completely blended. The mousse should seem too soft–it still needs to chill. Place it into the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
  4. To assemble: Remove the mousse and divide half of it between 4 individual glasses. Shake gently to level it. Divide the sliced strawberries between the glasses, layering them on top of the mousse. Divide the remaining mousse over the strawberry slices. Chill until set, about 30-45 minutes more.
  5. Garnish with strawberries. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.
3.2.1753

 

 

Filed Under: balsamic, berries, blog events, chocolate, mousse, No Bake Desserts, strawberries Tagged With: balsamic vinegar, berries, chocolate, mousse, strawberries, white chocolate

« Garam Masala Caramel Corn for The Leftovers Club
#BundtaMonth: Lemon Mint Rhubarb Breakfast Bundt Cake with Blueberries »

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    May 6, 2013 at 6:36 am

    I had my first really good strawberries this weekend…and they were GOOD. I love pairing them with balsamic and the addition of white chocolate mousse sounds so perfect!!

    Reply
  2. Emily @ Life on Food says

    May 6, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Just when I thought I was all set for Mother’s Day your recipe entered my world. Looks fabulous and I know my mom would love the white chocolate mousse.

    Reply
  3. Nisrine says

    May 6, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    I love it. I have strawberries and must make this mousse soon.

    Reply
  4. The Ninja Baker says

    May 6, 2013 at 4:22 pm

    Your chocolate mousse looks lovely! And you’ve got me convinced that I need a bottle of strawberry vinegar =)

    Reply
  5. Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says

    May 6, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    Oh, so yum! I’d love to dig in my spoon in it…

    Reply
  6. Caroline says

    May 6, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    I’ve got some really great strawberries…I’m pretty sure this is where they’re headed! This is a really creative recipe and I just love the idea of these flavors together! Thanks so much…can’t wait to make it!

    Reply
  7. Liz says

    May 6, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    I adore white chocolate mousse and your topping of strawberries and strawberry balsamic vinegar sounds phenomenal!

    Reply
  8. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    May 6, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    Your mousse is so pretty, I love the strawberry balsamic!

    Reply
  9. Anne@FromMySweetHeart says

    May 6, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    What a luscious mousse….and I bet the strawberry infused balsamic was amazing! : )

    Reply
  10. Hari Chandana says

    May 6, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Looks so delicious and awesome.. First time here.. Happy to follow your space 🙂

    Reply
  11. Cary Kelly says

    May 7, 2013 at 7:08 am

    I an thrilled to find your blog, you are so creative with flavor. I am grateful for the reference to our store, Ah love Oil & Vinegar, and delighted you like our balsamic vinegars. We are proud of our products and enjoy the opportunity to represent small producers (the balsamic is from a producer in Modena, Italy) who make food with passion and integrity. I will keep enjoying your blog and making your fabulous recipes in my kitchen!

    Reply
  12. Jen @ Savory Simple says

    May 7, 2013 at 8:30 am

    Our perfect weather has turned crappy over the past few days. I’m bummed, I have outdoor furniture being delivered today and I won’t be able to enjoy it! Ah well… this looks divine.

    Reply
  13. grace says

    May 8, 2013 at 2:52 pm

    it’s settled–i prefer white chocolate over all other types. this dish excites me very much.

    Reply
  14. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says

    May 8, 2013 at 10:14 pm

    I love chocolate mouse and haven’t made using white chocolate in so long. I was actually just thinking about it few days ago. Yours is just so pretty and the balsamic strawberries, mmm delicious!!!

    Reply
  15. Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says

    May 9, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    That is soooo pretty, Laura, and the vinegar sounds so good!

    Reply
  16. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says

    May 9, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    This mousse sounds heavenly – the strawberries with it – yum!!

    Reply
  17. Suzanne says

    May 10, 2013 at 1:14 am

    I love this white chocolate mousse and I yet to try balsamic vinegar with strawberries but I am curious to try it out. Your photo look beautiful.

    Reply
  18. Laura@bakinginpyjamas says

    May 27, 2013 at 10:13 am

    What a great entry to this month’s chocolate challenge. I can imagine how creamy and delightful it must taste.

    Reply
  19. Mireille says

    April 11, 2015 at 12:42 am

    this must be amazing with the vinegar cutting the sweetness of the white chocolate

    Reply
  20. Marye says

    April 11, 2015 at 7:15 am

    This looks perfect! I have been experimenting with vinegars, too. It’s amazing how much “lift” they can add to a dish!

    Reply
  21. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    April 11, 2015 at 1:02 pm

    I could definitely go for this right now! I have a whole cabinet filled with balsamic vinegars…I’m kind of obsessed. But I don’t have strawberry! That needs to change!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Enter your email here and never miss a post!

Popular Posts

  • Restaurant Style Beef Vindaloo
  • Grandma’s Beef and Noodles
  • North Indian Baked Eggs: Review of Seven Spoons
  • Taralli Dolci di Pasqua (Southern Italian Easter Cookies): #CreativeCookieExchange
  • Mexican Ramen Bowl
  • Torta Paradiso (Italian Paradise Cake)
  • Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions (redux)
  • Saag Gosht (Beef in Fragrant Spinach Sauce)
  • Ash-e Anar (Persian Pomegranate Soup with Meatballs)
  • Irish Coffee Bundt Cake: #BundtBakers

Copyright © 2008–2021 The Spiced Life