Coffee Mousse

Jo, the Puddings Queen at Stour, has an inexhaustible fund of delicious recipes, and this is one of them.  It's a smooth coffee mousse with a crunchy praline top.  You will be surprised to know that it is made with evaporated milk, but it is soooo good!  I've made this several times, with varying success, but even if it separates slightly so you get a less moussy layer at the bottom, it still tastes divine.   I don't think there are enough coffee puddings out there, so let's go viral with this one!

Coffee Mousse

1 standard size tin evaporated milk, thoroughly chilled

8floz/230ml very strong black coffee (instant or real)

2oz/50g caster sugar (or less, to taste)

1 sachet powdered gelatine/4 leaves of sheet gelatine

½ pint lightly whipped double cream

For decoration: 

praline

1oz/25g flaked almonds

2oz/50g caster sugar

2.5floz/75ml water

extra whipped cream

Serves about 8-10.   Chill the evaporated milk in the fridge, and/or put it into the freezer for 15 minutes before whisking.  It should be really cold.  

Make the coffee, dissolve the gelatine in the coffee and be sure it has all melted before adding the caster sugar.  Leave this mixture to cool until the gelatine is nearly setting (this is important!).

Whisk the evaporated milk in a Kenwood or Kitchen-Aid, until it has become thick and mousse-like and increased in volume by about three times. 

Now add the coffee mixture, still whisking hard.   It should start to stiffen up (but if it doesn’t, don’t panic quite yet).   Stop whisking and fold in the softly whipped cream, before pouring the mousse into a pretty bowl of about 2 pint capacity.  Chill to set.

Make the praline:  Spread the flaked almonds onto a non-stick baking sheet.  Then boil the sugar and water together until they form a caramel.  Pour the hot caramel over the almonds and leave it to set.  When it is crisp and hard, chop up into very small pieces. 

To decorate, use whipped cream and add the praline at the last minute, so that it doesn’t melt.