About the Recipe
Hilary Meyer
Ingredients
¼ cup cold water
1 envelope (¼ oz.) powdered gelatin
1 cup whole milk, divided
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
⅓ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup chopped strawberries
½ cup chopped candied walnuts or pecans
Preparation
Place water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Microwave on High in 10-minute increments until the gelatin is melted.
Meanwhile, place ½ cup milk and basil in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Heat the remaining ½ cup milk, white chocolate, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until hot but not bubbling, 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk the gelatin mixture into the chocolate mixture (reheat the gelatin if it has solidified). Whisk in the basil mixture. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Let cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When the basil-chocolate mixture has chilled, whip cream and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Whisk the basil mixture, then fold it into the whipped cream in 3 additions, folding in completely before adding more, until uniform.
Divide the mousse among eight ½-cup ramekins or jars. Cover and chill until set, about 2 hours. Top each with 1 Tbsp. strawberries and candied nuts before serving.