Need Blackberry Mousse help: problems with egg whites and Just Whites powder.

[testkitchen45]

Does a certain ratio of sugar to whites stop salmonella growth, as a chef told me once? This is a five-star favorite recipe; a similar one is in an old CLBB thread on egg whites. Flavor and texture are perfect w/real whites, but I tried to use Just Whites powder instead of raw whites & failed twice. Google turns up nothing definite, and I either have to drop a fantastic recipe, or make it & risk my kids eating raw whites, or try Alice Medrich's safe meringue (which is really a pain), or try to find pasteurized eggs (not Egg Beaters). I'd love some help on making the Just Whites work, but if they simply won't, then so be it: Alice or pasteurized it is.

What happens is that the Just Whites seem to work fine when the instructions below are followed, but they break down the next day and the mixture is heavy, with water leaking out (and the mousse probably was fluffier with the real whites to begin with, but that's a difference I can live with). DH suggested that chilling it in a casserole instead of individual parfaits might make a difference, but I don't agree b/c after 30 hours in the fridge (yesterday midday to tonight's dinnertime), it's fully chilled--and still heavy & slightly watery. The picky details in the recipe below came from my mistakes the first time I made it with Just Whites; it's really not difficult, it's just that some care needs to be taken, & the steps should follow that order. Here's the recipe:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Blackberry Mousse

Recipe By :Very impressive way to use our home-grown blackberries.
Serving Size : 8
Categories : Christmas Possibility Dessert
Easter Possibility Easy Entertaining
Family Meals Five-Star Favorite
Fruit Make Ahead/NO last-min prep
Thanksgiving Possibility

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream -- whipped

2 2/3 tablespoons Just Whites powdered pasteurized egg
whites -- equal to 2 teaspoons per 1 egg white desired (see Notes)
1/2 cup warm water -- to be mixed with the Just Whites

2 tablespoons warm water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring
to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Puree in
blender; strain seeds (see Notes), and set aside in a large enough glass
bowl for mixing later with hand mixer, and folding in whipped cream and
whites. (For 1-pound-berries recipe, I use my second-from-biggest W-S
nested bowl.)

As berries are cooling, being strained, and cooling further, pull out hand
mixer and two sets of beaters. Place the copper bowl into a stand (created
by laying a damp paper towel into a soup bowl). Measure out the Just
Whites powder into a small bowl or cup (doesn't matter). Whip the heavy
cream; set aside. (If only one set of beaters is available, wash beaters
carefully to remove all the cream.)

In a small glass bowl, for a few seconds in the microwave, warm a little
too much water than you'll need for the Just Whites (b/c you always lose
some through evaporation). Measure out the needed amount of water into the
copper bowl. Sprinkle the Just Whites powder onto the warm water. Break up
Just Whites and whip slightly with a fork or whisk; do not proceed with
the recipe until all powder has dissolved: at least 2 minutes of steady
whisking. Mixture will get foamy: to determine whether lumps are gone,
swirl the copper bowl a few times to see if any lumps cling to the sides.
It's better to whisk/fork a little too long than not enough. With a hand
mixer and clean beaters (not the ones from the heavy cream), whip the Just
Whites into stiff peaks. Set aside.

Have the blackberry spatula handy. As before, warm a little too much water
for the gelatin; measure out the needed amount into the small glass bowl.
Sprinkle gelatin powder over water. Immediately whip the mixture with a
fork to evenly distribute the gelatin. Using the spatula, immediately pour
the gelatin/water combination onto the blackberry puree, and use the hand
mixer (from the Just Whites; don't bother rinsing off the beaters) to mix
the gelatin into the puree.

Using the spatula, fold the whipped cream into the blackberry mixture.
Fold in the egg whites. Spoon into individual parfaits or goblets, or into
one soufflé or casserole dish.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. For best results,
however, refrigerate overnight or at least all day.

Description:
"Can serve this rich recipe either from one beautiful bowl, or in
individual footed parfait glasses."
Source:
"Lee Bailey's The Way I Cook, page 469"
S(Internet address):
""
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 280 Calories; 11g Fat (34.8%
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 41mg
Cholesterol; 48mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat
Milk; 2 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Garnish with fresh mint if desired, or perhaps a piped-pretty dollop of a separate amount of whipped cream (not included in recipe amounts).

NOTES : Lee Bailey didn't strain seeds after pureeing the mixture,
but we think it's crucial. Don't use the smallest-mesh
strainer, or it'll take forever. Use an ordinary strainer
over a very large bowl (gives room for folding in whipped
cream and egg whites later).

For the 1-pound-berries recipe, you need 4 egg whites,
equal to 8 teaspoons Just Whites--Lee Bailey uses raw
whites but we don't.

[misskitty100]

Have you tried liquid pasturized whites? They are sold next to the egg beaters at the regular grocery store and I believe TJ's sells them too.

I made a strawberry mousse filling for a cake and that is what I used. It turned out great!

[misskitty100]

Here is the recipe I used but I subbed strawberries. It was originally posted by NMG.


Blackberry Mousse

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
3/4 cup heavy cream


MAKE THE MOUSSE: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a blender, puree the blackberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Strain the blackberry puree into a small saucepan; there should be about 3/4 cup. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer the blackberry mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved. Let the mixture cool.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cooled berry puree until no streaks of white remain. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until softly whipped. Fold the whipped cream into the berry mixture and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 up to 2 days ahead. Store the tuiles in an airtight container; refrigerate the mousse and syrup.

[testkitchen45]

Here is the recipe I used but I subbed strawberries. It was originally posted by NMG.


Blackberry Mousse

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
3/4 cup heavy cream


MAKE THE MOUSSE: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a blender, puree the blackberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Strain the blackberry puree into a small saucepan; there should be about 3/4 cup. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer the blackberry mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved. Let the mixture cool.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cooled berry puree until no streaks of white remain. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until softly whipped. Fold the whipped cream into the berry mixture and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 up to 2 days ahead. Store the tuiles in an airtight container; refrigerate the mousse and syrup.

Thanks, but same problem: raw whites. And when I first made my recipe, I had to throw out the gelatin after just over a minute b/c it fully gelled into a blob in the little bowl; I don't know how you successfully had the powder sit for 5 minutes plus all your berry-cooking time & still were able to stir it into the mixture--??

I like your suggestion about looking for pasteurized egg whites in a carton near the eggs; that sounds like the best bet. Can you freeze the extra p'z egg whites, if you don't need a whole carton? I've never seen them but hope to find them, rather than fiddling with Medrich's safe meringue.

[misskitty100]

Thanks, but same problem: raw whites. And when I first made my recipe, I had to throw out the gelatin after just over a minute b/c it fully gelled into a blob in the little bowl; I don't know how you successfully had the powder sit for 5 minutes plus all your berry-cooking time & still were able to stir it into the mixture--??

I like your suggestion about looking for pasteurized egg whites in a carton near the eggs; that sounds like the best bet. Can you freeze the extra p'z egg whites, if you don't need a whole carton? I've never seen them but hope to find them, rather than fiddling with Medrich's safe meringue.

Yes, the recipe I used does call for raw egg whites but I used the pastuerized ones with no problem.

Not sure I am understanding about the part you threw away. Are you saying the gelatin turned out too firm? If so, just add a bit more water if you want a looser texture. The recipe I used had a pretty firm texture. But once you stirred in the cream/egg whites it the berry/gelatin ended up being little pieces of berry flavor studded threw the cream mixture - does that make sense? If you didn't know how it was made, you would have thought it was little bits of berry in stead of a berry gelatin.

Don't know if you can freeze the past. egg whites but you could just use it up in a scrambled egg or quiche recipe. I think the carton cost around $3.00 -- kind of a lot for just a TB!

[Beth]

I bought Just Egg Whites once and wound up throwing the rest of the can out after a couple of failed uses. I don't remember now what I was making, but I figured it wasn't worth it, and I got past any guilt over throwing out any unused yolks.

[testkitchen45]

Bumping this up b/c I finally tried this recipe again, using liquid pasteurized egg whites this time. It worked much better than with the Just Whites, when it was so watery I had to toss it. However, the texture, while not watery or separated, was still fairly loose, more like a thick ice-cream syrup or spoonable dessert than a firm mousse.

Suggestions, anyone?

The last time I tried Alice Medrich's Safe Meringue, I didn't have the quick-reading Thermapen instant-read thermometer, which is a huge improvement over a typical thermometer--so I may try the safe meringue again, as it'll be less of a pain with the Thermapen. But the pasteurized whites would still be the easiest option, yet the carton even advises against using them for angel-food cake or meringues, leading me to think that something in the commercial pasteurization process (as opposed to the home version by Medrich) reduces the whites' ability to hang on to that air you've whipped in.

Also, I had some teeny pieces of lumpy gelatin in my final dish, too. What's the secret to getting totally smooth gelatin+water? DH whipped it with a fork, but we still found a lump or two in the final dish.

The flavor of this dish is five-star, and we have a ton of homegrown blackberries in our freezer. I'd be grateful for any further comments anyone has, that'd make this recipe perfect and safe (w/o the raw whites, which naturally gave the best mousse-y texture). Thanks!