Banana Mousse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm rarely able to match the number of bananas I need to the number of people who will actually eat them while sitting at my table. Rather than run short, I inevitably over-buy and end up scrambling to use them before they're fit for nothing other than the compost bin. Fortunately, we love banana desserts, and, in addition to cakes and breads, have come to enjoy a banana mousse that is very simple to make. To my mind, the difference between a mousse and a pudding lies in the lighter and more airy texture of the mousse. A mousse is usually stiffened with egg whites or gelatin, while a pudding relies on a flour or cornstarch thickener. When working with gelatin it is easy to get carried away and use more of it than is necessary. While that won't harm the flavor of the mousse it can affect its texture. I have found that 2 teaspoons of gelatin is all that I need to set this mousse and keep it from getting rubbery. This is a great way to use bananas that have begun to blacken and develop leopard spot. The resulting mousse is nearly fail proof, and, with a bit of garnish, a dish designed for family and friends moves uptown and is fit for guests as well. If you like bananas, I think you'll like this. Here's the recipe.


Banana Mousse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by a banana mousse recipe from Kenya

Ingredients:
3 medium bananas, peeled and mashed to yield 1 cup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
Optional garnish: shredded coconut or chocolate curls

Directions:
1) Place bananas, sugar, salt and lemon and orange juice in jar of an electric blender. Puree.
2) Combine water and orange liqueur. Sprinkle gelatin over mixture. Allow to soften for about 5 minutes. Heat in a water bath or microwave oven until gelatin dissolves and liquid is no longer grainy. Add mixture to fruit puree and pulse to blend.
3) Beat cream just until very soft peaks form. Fold into banana mixture. Spoon mixture into six (6-oz.) dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate. Chill for 4 to 6 hours before serving. Garnish as desired.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Hawaiian Banana Bread - One Perfect Bite
Banana Fritters - One Perfect Bite
Banana Pudding - The Pioneer Woman
Old Fashioned Cream Pie - Chaos in the Kitchen
Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart - The Recipe Girl
Banana Pancakes - The Technicolor Kitchen
Banana Pound Cake with Chocolate Morsels - Sass and Veracity