Thanksgiving with Kabocha Pumpkin Mascarpone Mousse

   

Good things are happening recently with BB.  I am all inspired, and I am proud of this post.  All the important elements of this blog - good photos, good recipe and some twists - came together.  

I guarantee that you'll be happy once you try this mousse.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States.  I'm not cooking the whole dinner, but I'm in charge of the dessert for the family dinner. 

I used kabocha instead of traditional pumpkin.  Kabocha is a kind of squash/pumpkin and very popular in Japan.  When I think of pumpkin, I think of kabocha.  Kabocha is richer and heavier than pumpkins,  and  also slightly bitter.  I used mascarpone cheese to make it lighter and creamier.   I also added some orange zest and candied ginger bits to give it a little twist.  

Try it.  This will make you happy : )

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Recipe:  Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

Mousse:

(Group A)

1 medium kabocha (2 pounds / 4 cups pureed) - can be substituted with 2 15oz cans of pumpkin puree

1 cup of mascarpone cheese

2 egg yolks

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 pack of gelatin powder

(Group B)

1 tablespoon of orange zest

2 tablespoon of chopped candied ginger
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of ground cardamon

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon of salt

Top and Bottom:

1 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of powder sugar

1 pomegranate
a piece of chocolate

6 digestive cookies or 6 large ginger snap cookies

Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large steam pan.  Cut a kabocha into 4 pieces, take the seeds out and peel the skins off.  Steam the kabocha until cooked for about 15 minutes.  Let them cool after cooked.

Mix a pack of gelatin with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes in a small bowl.  Boil some water in a sauce pan and place the gelatin bowl in.  Let it sit and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. 

Put cooked and cooled kabocha, sugar and egg yolk in a food processor and run it for a minute.  Add mascarpone cheese and run it again until mixed.  Add all the Group B ingredients and melted gelatin in the kabocha mixture and pulse it in a food processor for a few times. 

Mix heavy cream with sugar and whip it with a hand mixture until it's firm and forms a peak.

Crumble cookies into chunks.  Put some cookie chunks at the bottom of each mousse glass.  Put 1 tablespoon of whipped cream over cookies and 2 tablespoons of mousse over the cream.  Put another tablespoon of whipped cram on top.  Chill the glasses in the refrigerator.  Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and grated chocolate before serving.