Strawberry bavarois, no bake (gluten-free)

Hello all! Here it is summer in full swing, meaning of course, heat, storms, bugs, late sunsets, outdoor meals or picnics, summertime laziness... and cool desserts.

That means something refreshing with seasonal fruits. And to be precise "if you can't take the heat, stay out of kitchen" no-bake treats. Lots of those to come, kids are even requesting, "something cold, mom."

I had lots of strawberries so a bavarois came to mind. The origin of the Bavarois is unknown, some say princess Isabeau from Bavière of southern Germany introduced it to the French court upon her marriage to Charles VI in 1385 ; others say its origins date from German princes staying in France in the 18th century.

No matter, it's basically a mousse-like cake, and in this version, I layered strawberry mousse with ladyfingers (or you can layer with thin sponge cake) and topped with a strawberry gelatin and fruit.

Here's the recipe I used for 4 large ramekins (or 1 small 22 cm round mold):

8-10 ladyfingers (or gluten-free variety), cut to fit ramekins

Strawberry gelatin :

20-25 strawberries (350 g)

1/2 cup sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

4 sheets of gelatin or 1 tablespoon of agar-agar

15 cl whipping cream (20-30% fat)

150 g mascarpone or cream cheese

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Method :
Allow gelatin sheets to soften in a bowl of 1 cup of cold water. Place cored strawberries in a blender and pulse until you get an even mixture. In a deep pan, simmer the strawberry puree, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat. Allow to simmer about 5 minutes or until you get a smooth jam. Squeeze water out of gelatin sheets and place into the warm strawberry mixture. Whisk until the gelatin dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool. Once cooled, divide the strawberry gelatin into two bowls : one bowl with 1/3 of the gelatin to put aside for the topping, and another bowl with 2/3 of the gelatin to blend with cream to make the mousse.

In a bowl, beat the whipping cream until thickened and stiff, then add softened mascarpone, blend 2 minutes until well mixed. Fold this cream with the 2/3 batch of strawberry gelatin.

Assembly :
Cut up ladyfingers (or thin sponge cake) to fit snuggly into ramekins. Add spoonfuls of the mousse to fill up 3/4 of the way to the top, leaving room for a layer of strawberry gelatin and fruit. Allow to set about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Add a layer of strawberry gelatin (if it has set, warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds or heat up again. Allow to cool and pour over the mousse that has set. Cool in refrigerator about 3-4 hours or overnight. Decorate with fresh cut fruit, edible flowers, candy or meringue.

Enjoy, everyone !

Comments

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