Slip into a little lace for dessert with Easy Passion Fruit Mousse Brandy Snap Bowls.
Happy Valentine’s Day! This Easy Passion Fruit Mousse Brandy Snap Bowls dessert is everything love should be — simple, elegant and sweet. The buttery, caramel-like aroma while baking is irresistible and sets the mood for a special treat.
Brandy snaps require just a few staple ingredients and bake up quickly, making them a perfect last-minute dessert. I love making them because shaping the hot lace cookies into bowls, cones or curls is satisfying and playful. Be careful with the hot edges, but don’t be afraid to experiment with shapes and sizes.
If you haven’t tried making brandy snaps before, head to the recipe below, gather your pantry staples and preheat your oven. A few practical tips to help you get perfect results:
- After mixing, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. If you don’t use all the batter at once, tightly wrapped dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to three months.
- Use a small ice cream scoop (#40) to form medium discs for draping over muffin tins. For smaller discs, use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon.
- Leave plenty of space between scoops — they spread a lot. If they join while baking, separate them immediately and finish shaping.
- Watch them closely in the oven; depending on your oven they can be done in about 3 minutes. Remove when slightly golden.
- Bake only a few at a time. Work quickly once they come out, letting them cool just a few seconds before draping or shaping.
- If a shell sets before you shape it or you don’t like the result, put it back in the oven for a few seconds and try again.
- Store baked shells at room temperature in an airtight container. Only refrigerate them after filling.
After shaping and cooling, dip the bases in chocolate to seal and help hold fillings. I made these during the holidays — half filled with passion fruit mousse and the other half with an orange chocolate mousse. Both were crowd-pleasers. On another occasion I made a single bowl for sharing and filled it with fresh fruit and vanilla bean whipped coconut cream.
These Easy Passion Fruit Mousse Brandy Snap Bowls are lovely to make for a special person. The recipe includes two mousse options, but if you’re short on time you can simply fill the brandy snap bowls with good-quality ice cream or freshly whipped cream, top with seasonal fruit and a light chocolate drizzle. The quick, elegant finish will feel like a secret indulgence.
Easy Passion Fruit Mousse Brandy Snap Bowls
Ingredients
- 112 grams butter
- 112 grams sugar
- 112 grams corn syrup
- 450 grams bread flour
- 2 grams ground ginger
- 7 millilitres cointreau optional
- 1 litre whipping cream whipped to soft peaks
- 17 grams gelatin
- 100 millilitres cold water
- 66 grams sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 333 millilitres passion fruit puree
- 20 millilitres lemon juice freshly squeezed
Method
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place butter, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and warm to combine.
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Sift in the flour and ground ginger and stir until uniform. Stir in the cointreau if using.
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Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
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Scoop small rounds of dough onto the parchment-lined tray using a small ice cream scoop or spoon.
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Bake until the discs are slightly golden.
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Remove from the oven and let cool for a few seconds, then drape over muffin tins or bowls to form the desired shape.
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Let cool completely, dip the base in melted chocolate if desired and allow to set at room temperature.
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In a large bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside.
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Bloom the gelatin in cold water until soft.
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Combine the passion fruit puree and lemon juice in a bowl.
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Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over simmering water (bain-marie) until thick and pale. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Warm the bloomed gelatin gently over the bain-marie until melted and stir it into the passion fruit mixture.
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Temper the passion fruit mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then fold a little of the whipped cream in to lighten it. Gently fold the tempered fruit-egg mixture into the whipped cream until combined.
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Chill the mousse in the refrigerator until set.
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Assembly: Pipe or spoon the mousse into the brandy snap bowls and top with your favorite fruits, chocolate decoration or a light drizzle of chocolate.
