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Cranberry Mousse Cups

Delightful and fluffy cranberry mousse cups perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy dinners, encapsulating the tastes of tart cranberries and sweet vanilla.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert, Sweet Treat
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cranberry Mousse
  • 1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 0.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water For the cranberry mixture
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin For blooming
  • 2 tablespoons cold water For blooming gelatin
  • 0.75 cups heavy cream Cold, to whip
  • A few drops pink or red gel food coloring Optional for color
For the Vanilla Mousse
  • 1 cup heavy cream Cold, to whip
  • 0.25 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin For blooming
  • 2 tablespoons cold water For blooming gelatin
Garnishes
  • Sugared cranberries Sugared cranberries Optional, for garnish
  • Fresh mint leaves Fresh mint leaves For garnish

Method
 

Preparation
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, orange zest, and orange juice. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until cranberries burst and the mixture thickens.
  2. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove skins and stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool.
  3. Bloom 1 teaspoon of gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes, then heat to dissolve and stir into the cooled cranberry mixture.
  4. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip ¾ cup heavy cream to soft peaks, then fold in the cranberry mixture. Add gel food coloring if desired.
Vanilla Mousse Preparation
  1. Bloom 1 teaspoon of gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved.
  2. In another bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  3. Carefully stir in the dissolved gelatin into the whipped cream.
Assemble
  1. Spoon or pipe the vanilla mousse into the bottom halves of 6 to 8 small dessert glasses.
  2. Layer the cranberry mousse on top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
Garnishing and Serving
  1. Before serving, top each mousse cup with sugared cranberries and fresh mint leaves.

Notes

For an extra elegant touch, drizzle chocolate sauce or add crushed nuts before serving. If short on time, you can skip the sugared cranberries but they add a festive flair.