Quick Strawberry Mousse

This ultra-quick (and very easy) strawberry mousse recipe is ideal for those boxes of strawberries you bought on impulse and then find dying quietly in the fridge a day or so later...  It also works well with those softer English strawberries you get in the late summer which look pretty, but taste slightly watery.    Plus, if you are anything like me, you'll have some egg whites lurking in the fridge, so this is a perfect way to use them up too!  

Enjoy the cream in this recipe - I haven't tried to make it with yoghurt, but if you insist on it, make sure it is a thick yoghurt and don't expect it to set.   This quantity will serve about 4-6 depending on greed and bowl size.

Quick Strawberry Mousse 

Quick Strawberry Mousse  

10oz/300g strawberries, fresh or frozen plus a few for decoration (or if they are beyond it, purée everything and keep some of the purée aside)

3 egg whites

2oz/50g caster sugar

¼ pint/142ml double cream

Purée the strawberries in a food processor or blender and add a little extra sugar if they are sour (but only a little) or a couple of drops of lemon juice if they are tastless!  

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then add the caster sugar and keep going until you have a thick, glossy result, like an uncooked meringue (which it is).   Half whip the cream so it has some air incorporated but is not stiff, and fold it into the strawberry purée.   Now fold the whisked egg mousse into the purée using a metal spoon.   I always put a tablespoonful in first to loosen the texture of the mousse before adding the rest.   Pour into a pretty glass bowl, or individual bowls, and chill until set.   

This can be made a day or two in advance, but is best eaten at just below room temperature.    Decorate with strawberries.  If you are using purée, either swirl it through the mousse or pour onto the top and swoosh it about with a fork.