Amaretti Coffee Mousse

Coffee, cream and almond biscuits, set into a chilled mousse. It looks like more work than it is — everything is assembled cold and the refrigerator does the rest.

Serves 8
Chilling time: 4 hours minimum

Ingredients

7 oz amaretti biscuits
2 tablespoons milk
7 oz Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
4–5 sheets gelatin
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

For the top

3 1/2 oz dark chocolate

Method

Break the amaretti into small pieces with your hands and put them in a bowl. Pour over the milk and leave for 15 minutes to soften.

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes, until soft and floppy. Squeeze out the excess water.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside in the refrigerator.

Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until pale, then fold in the Greek yogurt.

Warm the orange juice in a small pan — warm, not boiling. Stir in the coffee granules until dissolved, then add the softened gelatin and stir until it disappears completely.

Let this mixture cool until it is barely warm to the touch. This matters: pour it in hot and it will cook the yolks and deflate the cream. Pour it in cold and the gelatin will set into strings the moment it hits.

Whisk the cooled coffee mixture into the yolk and yogurt base.

In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt and the remaining sugar to stiff, glossy peaks.

Fold the whipped cream into the coffee base first, then the egg whites, in two additions. Use a spatula and fold rather than stir — the air is what makes this a mousse.

Fold in the softened amaretti last.

Pour into a rectangular dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until set.

Grate the chocolate over the top just before serving.

Chef’s notes

This uses raw egg white. Use pasteurized eggs if you are serving anyone elderly, pregnant or immune-compromised.

If you prefer, replace the gelatin sheets with 2 teaspoons of powdered gelatin bloomed in 2 tablespoons of cold water.