On a recent trip to Italy, a group of a dozen or so of us had a cooking class, and then lunch, at the Academia Barilla, a centre devoted to the preservation of Italian gastronomic culture. It was a divine lunch of pasta and sides (OK, mostly pasta), but perhaps my favourite part was the dessert, a divinely rich whipped cream and yogurt, stabilized with gelatin and topped with a fresh berry compote. Served in individual cups, it was perfect for serving a crowd – and I imagine it would be equally perfect served to a party in the back yard. This Canada Day I'm going to make it in small Mason jars, lidded and kept in a big tub of ice so everyone can grab one to eat in the grass whenever they like. Brilliant! Love the sprig of fresh mint in there, too.
Yogurt Mousse with Fruit
If you don't have a piping bag, pour the mixture into a large zip-lock bag, seal and snip off one corner to squeeze out. Recipe courtesy of Academia Barilla.
250 g/8.8 oz full-fat plain yogurt
100 g sugar
1/2 gelatin sheet
250 mL heavy (whipping) cream
150 g strawberries or other berries, roughly mashed
70 g sugar
1/2 lemon
• Whip the cream and then let it rest in the refrigerator.
• Let the gelatin sheets soak in cold water.
• In a pan let 50 g of yogurt and 100 g of sugar cook at medium heat. Once it’s boiling take it of the heat and add the gelatin.
• Let it cool down then add the remaining yogurt.
• As soon as it’s cold add the whipped cream and pour into a piping bag with a star tip.
• Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• To prepare the sauce, mix the mashed fruit with the 70 g sugar and lemon juice. Pipe the creamed mixture into individual glasses and top with fruit sauce.
