Frozen Eggnog Mousse Torte Food

FROZEN MOCHA MOUSSE

Steps:

• Break 3 ounces of the chocolate into pieces and place the pieces in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk in the coffee liqueur, water and espresso granules and heat the mixture until the chocolate just melts. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Place the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture is the texture of mayonnaise. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla, and slowly pour in the cooled chocolate mixture.
• Put the egg whites and salt in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the whites form soft (not dry!) peaks. Fold them carefully into the chocolate mixture. In the same bowl (no need to clean it) beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and fold it carefully into the chocolate mixture. Grate the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and fold it into the mixture.
• Pour the mixture into a 10-cup souffle dish, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.
• For the whipped cream, place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip on medium and then high speed until it reach stiff peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the edge of the mousse with the whipped cream, and sprinkle extra chocolate shavings over the center of the mousse for decoration. Serve frozen.

EGGNOG MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over eggnog; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in vanilla. Refrigerate until mixture begins to thicken., Beat mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in 3/4 cup whipped topping. Divide among 4 dessert dishes. Refrigerate until firm. Garnish with remaining whipped topping; sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired.

FROZEN EGGNOG MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Finely chop pecans, almonds, sugar and nutmeg in processor using on/off turns, stopping once to stir mixture. Transfer to large bowl. Combine butter and vanilla in small bowl. Pour over nuts and mix thoroughly. Transfer nut mixture to 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Using plastic wrap as aid, press firmly up sides and then over bottom of pan, covering completely. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Place pan with crust on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
• Melt 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spread over bottom of crust. Cover with plastic and freeze until ready to use.
• For filling:
• Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Cook sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 238F (tilting pan slightly to submerge thermometer), about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat yolks in medium bowl until pale yellow and thick.
• Gradually beat hot syrup into yolks. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Continue beating until thick and cool, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In large bowl, whip 2 1/4 cups cream, brandy, vanilla and nutmeg to firm peaks. Fold barely lukewarm white chocolate into yolk mixture. Gently fold in whipped cream. Pour 1/3 of filling into crust; smooth top. Top with 1 chocolate disk. Gently pour another 1/3 of filling over; smooth top. Top with second chocolate disk. Gently pour remaining filling over. Freeze overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap.)
• Place chocolate lace atop mousse. Spoon unsweetened whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe cream decoratively around edge of cake. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• To make the sour cream cake: butter and flour an 8 or 9 inch cake pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks and the vanilla. In a measuring jug, whisk the sour cream and the milk together until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture alternately to the creamed butter mixture, ending with the milk mixture. Fold in the egg whites, then pour into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a plate and continue cooling to room temperature. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to finish the cake.
• To make the almond praline: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water over low heat. Stir together until the sugar has melted, then increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced almonds with the sugar syrup and toss until well coated. With a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let the nuts cool and break them apart. The nuts should remain whole but be coated with a sugary golden coating.
• To make the chocolate mousse: chill a bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the freezer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the chocolates over simmering water and stir in the cinnamon. In the frozen mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks (do not over beat). Remove the double boiler insert holding the melted chocolate from the pan. With a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Fold the remaining cold cream into the chocolate mixture, 1/4 at a time, mixing it as little as possible just to get it all incorporated.
• When ready to assemble the torte, cut the sour cream cake in half horizontally with a long sharp knife. Place 1 layer of the cake on a serving plate and spread a thick layer of mousse on top of it. Sandwich the second layer over the top and spread a mounded layer of mouse over the top. Spread a layer of mousse around the edges, covering the cake completely. Gently press the sugared almonds into the mousse evenly around the edges of the cake. Using a very sharp vegetable peeler, shave long thick curls of chocolate over the top of the cake and serve immediately.

EGGNOG MOUSSE

Steps:

• Pour eggnog and milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and nutmeg. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping.
• Spoon evenly into 10 dessert dishes or 1-1/2-qt. serving bowl; cover.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top evenly with the remaining 1 cup whipped topping just before serving. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg, if desired.

FROZEN PUMPKIN MOUSSE TORTE WITH CARAMEL-PECAN TOPPING

Steps:

• For Crust: Preheat oven to 350.
• Finely chop nuts and sugar in food processor.
• Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until moist crumbs form.
• Using plastic wrap as aid, press mixture onto bottom and all the way up sides of a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides, covering completely.
• Freeze 10 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Cool.
• For Filling: Whisk 1 cup cream, sugar and yolks in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir constantly over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 160, about 6 minutes.
• Strain into large bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat mixture until cool and slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.
• Beat in pumpkin, corn syrup, rum and spices.
• Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks.
• Fold cream into pumpkin mixture.
• Transfer filling to crust.
• Cover and freeze overnight.
• For topping: Arrange pecans side by side atop torte, covering completely.
• Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over, covering nuts completely (pan will be filled to top).
• Freeze until caramel sets, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• To Serve: Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen torte.
• Release pan sides.
• Stir remaining caramel sauce in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until warm.
• Slice torte and serve with sauce.

EGGNOG MOUSSE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Combine spirits in a small bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin; let soften, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until mixture is pale and fluffy, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in gelatin mixture.
• Set bowl over pan again; cook, whisking, until the gelatin has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to the ice bath; scrape down sides of bowl, and whisk until cooled slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of whipped cream into gelatin mixture, then gently fold gelatin mixture into remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate (no more than 5 minutes) while preparing the egg whites.
• In a clean bowl of the electric mixer, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream mixture. Transfer to a serving dish; cover. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight. Serve chilled, garnished with coffee caramel and other recommended toppings.