Tulip Cookie Cups With Easy Cocolate Mousse Recipes

COOKIE TULIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet liner. Grease the outsides of 12 2-inch diameter baking glasses or small bowls.
• Mash the butter and white sugar together in a bowl until smooth, and mix in the flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the egg whites to make a smooth batter. Drop about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and use a spoon or spatula to spread the dough out into a very thin circle about 7 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are very lightly browned at the edges and the centers are set, 7 to 9 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't overbake. Pull the sheet from the oven, and immediately slip a spatula underneath each flat cookie; center and drape them over the greased glasses to harden into small wavy bowls. Allow to cool completely.
• While the cookies cool over their molds, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Remove green tops and cores from 5 strawberries; place them into a small bowl, and mash to a juicy, slightly lumpy texture; mix the strawberries into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold the whipped topping into the strawberry cream until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the strawberry cream into each cookie bowl, then top with a pretty fresh strawberry with green top. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container, and leftover cream in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CUPS

Steps:

• Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and put a cookie in the bottom of each cup. Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt and water in a large heatproof bowl. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and set the bowl on top (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until pale, fluffy and very thick (like a thick pudding), 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your bowl. Remove from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate; let cool.
• Beat 1 1/4 cups heavy cream with the sour cream in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cooled chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain, then divide evenly among the muffin cups. Cover and refrigerate until set, 12 hours or overnight.
• Run an offset spatula around each mousse cup to loosen and slide the spatula under the cookie; remove the mousse cups. (If they're too soft to remove, freeze briefly.) Beat the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream in a large bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form, then dollop onto the mousse cups and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Bring an inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Combine the cream and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. When the water boils, turn the heat to low so the water is barely simmering or just steaming. Set the bowl over the saucepan and melt the chocolate, gently stirring with a whisk now and then.
• While the chocolate melts, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium speed. When the whites are foamy, add the sugar in a slow stream while whisking. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. The whites should look glossy but not dry, and, when you lift the whisk from the mixture, a peak should form in the bowl and hold.
• Once the chocolate has melted completely, turn off the heat but leave the bowl over the saucepan. Holding the bowl with a kitchen towel, add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking after each addition. If the mixture looks broken, remove the bowl from the saucepan, cool for a minute, then add 1 tablespoon cream and whisk just until shiny and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. (Don't worry if it still doesn't look completely smooth. It will come together in the next step.)
• Add a quarter of the beaten whites to the chocolate mixture and stir gently with a flexible rubber spatula until incorporated but still a little streaky. This will make it easier to fold in the remaining whites to create an airy mousse by gradually lowering the temperature of the chocolate (tempering) and making the mixture loose.
• Add the rest of the whites and fold them in by running the spatula from 12 o'clock on the bowl to 6 o'clock, then scooping up the chocolate on the bottom and gently folding it over the whites as you move toward 9 o'clock. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Continue folding just until the last streak of white disappears. It's OK if there are a few lumps of whites left. It's better to not deflate the batter by folding too much.
• Scoop into a pretty bowl or into individual cups or bowls for serving if you'd like. Otherwise, keep it in the mixing bowl. Refrigerate the mousse uncovered until cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 more hours and preferably 24. The covered mousse can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• If you'd like to serve the mousse with whipped cream, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. A cup or two of heavy cream is plenty for this amount of mousse. Serve the mousse cold, straight from the refrigerator, with the whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MOUSSE CUPS

Steps:

• Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., In another bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, Nutella and cinnamon until blended. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry shells. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving.

ALMOND COOKIE CUPS WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together all remaining cookie ingredients except 3 tablespoons almonds. Add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth.
• For each cookie, spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons batter onto baking sheet; spread evenly to 6-inch round, eliminating any holes. Make only 2 cookies per baking sheet, placing at least 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/8 of the sliced almonds.
• Bake one sheet at a time 6 to 8 minutes or just until tops are dry and light brown, with golden-brown edges. Immediately place cookies in 6-oz. custard cups. Place second custard cup over cookies to form cup shape.
• OR, you can cover the back of muffin tins with the warm cookie to get the same effect. Remove from molds; set on cooling rack. Cool completely. Repeat using remaining batter.
• To make chocolate mousse, place chocolate in heatproof medium bowl. Bring 1 inch water to a boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Place bowl of chocolate over saucepan (bowl should not touch water). Let stand until melted. Stir. Remove from heat; set aside to cool.
• In small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together 1/2 cup of the cream, corn syrup and egg yolks. Cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture is thick, covers back of spoon and reaches 160ºF. on instant-read thermometer. (Be careful not to overcook.).
• Strain yolk mixture into chocolate. Immediately whisk briskly, making chocolate shiny and satin-smooth. Cool to 80ºF. to 85ºF. (Mixture should feel comfortable to the touch.).
• In large bowl, beat remaining 1 cup cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold cooled chocolate mixture into whipped cream. Cover; refrigerate up to 8 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• o serve, place tulip cups on individual dessert plates. Fill each with chocolate mousse; sprinkle with toasted almonds.
• TIP *To toast almonds, place on baking sheet; bake at 375ºF. for 6 minutes or until deep golden brown.

CHOCOLATE CUPS WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• For cups:
• Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner. Using pastry brush, brush chocolate over bottom and up sides of liners to coat evenly. Freeze until chocolate firms, about 30 minutes
• Remelt chocolate; add 1 tablespoon to each cup and brush over bottom and up sides, forming second coat. Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• For mousse:
• Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool briefly.
• Meanwhile, combine water, yolks and powdered sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over simmering water in base of double boiler and whisk until mixture is frothy and candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 6 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat until thick and cool, about 3 minutes. Fold cooled chocolate, then ground hazelnuts and Frangelico into yolk mixture. Beat cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in 3 additions.
• Peel paper liner from each chocolate cup. Arrange cups on platter. Pipe mousse into cups, dividing equally. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over. Serve immediately or chill up to 1 day.