Hojicha Mousse Japanese Dessert (Print out)

A delicate, airy mousse infused with roasted hojicha tea delivering subtle, refined flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Hojicha Base

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha tea leaves
02 - 6.8 fl oz whole milk

→ Mousse Mixture

03 - 3 large eggs, separated
04 - 2.1 oz granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Stabilizer

07 - 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
08 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

09 - Toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs

# How to Make It:

01 - Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Add hojicha tea leaves, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain to remove leaves and set aside the infused milk to cool slightly.
02 - Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
03 - In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 1.05 oz sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly whisk in the warm hojicha milk.
04 - Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot mixture until dissolved completely. Mix in vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
06 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1.05 oz sugar and continue to beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
07 - Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled hojicha mixture in thirds, being careful not to deflate the mousse.
08 - Spoon the mixture into serving glasses or ramekins. Chill for at least 2 hours, or until set.
09 - Garnish with toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs before serving, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The mousse is genuinely delicate without cream, letting the toasted tea flavor shine instead of getting buried.
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes of actual work, making it perfect for when you want something fancy without the fuss.
  • No fancy equipment needed, and it impresses everyone who tries it because they've never had hojicha this way before.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blooming step for gelatin or you'll get a grainy mousse that feels like eating tiny sand, and no amount of chilling will fix it.
  • The hojicha milk must cool to room temperature before you fold in the egg whites, or the heat will scramble them and ruin your whole mousse.
  • Dairy-free versions work beautifully with oat or almond milk, though you might notice the tea flavor is slightly more delicate than with whole milk.
03 -
  • If you don't have powdered gelatin, leaf gelatin works just as well, you'll just need to bloom it in a bit more water and make sure you squeeze out the excess before stirring it in.
  • The mousse is actually more forgiving than you think, and even if your peaks aren't perfect, the result will still taste wonderful and have that cloud-like quality that makes people ask for seconds.
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