Chocolate Mousse and Caramel Desserts – Purini Tiakarete me Te Karamea.
These Chocolate Mousse and Caramel Desserts hit the spot every time. Make them for a dinner party, Christmas dessert, a birthday celebration or for any reason at all. These timeless purini (desserts) will become one that you come back to time and time again. Let’s look a little closer.
The Chocolate Mousse and Caramel Dessert recipe:
Start with a super simple crumb made of nati makatāmia (macadamia nuts) and pihikete wīti (wheat biscuits). You can swap out the biscuits for your favourite and delete the nuts if you don’t want to use them. Divide the mixture between the glasses. Next make the main layer by creating a creamy chocolate mousse that basically melts in the mouth. Make sure you use a good quality tiakarete (chocolate) for the mousse because it really does make a difference to the final product. Once it is ready, layer it in to the glasses and allow it to set as you make the karamea (caramel). Make the karamea tote (salted caramel) with only a few ingredients but a few technical steps. When you are ready to serve, whip up a batch of my Stable Whipped Cream or regular kirīmi tāwhiuwhiua (whipped cream).
Have you got a simpler caramel recipe?
Āe mārika – sure do! The karamea (caramel) in this recipe has a delicious, deep flavour. However, the process is to bring sugar to a deep amber colour, then pour cream into the hot sugar syrup. If this kind of caramel overwhelms you a little, no worries. You can make one quantity of my easy caramel recipe and use that to top the mousse instead. Kei a koe te tikanga – it is up to you!
More dessert recipes:
Try my Chilled Lemon and White Chocolate Cheesecake, it is so popular and is like eating the most incredible lemon ice cream. Do you want a chocolate cheesecake instead, then my S’mores No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake will tick all the boxes. Or get creative and serve these Mini Berry Trifles in glasses for extraordinary flavour and visual appeal. Check out more dessert ideas here.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Chocolate Mousse and Salted Caramel Dessert – Purini Tiakarete me Te Karamea Tote.
Ingredients
The Salted Caramel – Te Karamea Tote
- 1 C (220 g0 huka one (caster sugar)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) wai (water)
- ¾ C (185 ml) kirīmi (cream)
- 75 g pata (butter, cut in to cubes)
- 1 tsp (5 g) tote (salt, try using a good quality sea salt for the best flavour)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) wanira (vanilla)
The Crumb Layer – Te Paparanga Kongakonga (optional layer)
- 60 g nati makatāmia kua parahunuhunua (roasted macadamia nuts)
- 100 g pihikete wīti tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate wheat biscuits)
- 35 g pata kua rewaina (melted butter)
The Chocolate Mousse – Te Purini Tiakarete
- 180 g tiakarete tote (dark chocolate) I used Whittakers 62% sea salt and caramel brittle but you can use any good quality dark chocolate.
- 1 C (250 ml) kirīmi (cream)
- 1 ¼ C (310 ml) kirīmi anō (extra cream)
- ¼ C (40 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) wanira (vanilla)
The Decoratons – Ngā Whakarākei (Optional)
- ¾ C kirīmi kua wepua (whipped cream) or 1 quantity of my Stable Whipped Cream
- ½ C ruireka (sprinkles)
Instructions
The Salted Caramel – Te Karamea Tote
- If this caramel is too difficult, you can make 1 quantity of my easy caramel recipe instead. Before you make the karamea (caramel), prepare all of your ingredients. Prepare a small bowl with cold water (wai mātao) and a pastry brush too.
- Bring the huka one (caster sugar) and wai (water) to a boil over medium-high heat. Only stir the mixture up until the point it boils and then hands off. Swirl the pot only after that. If at any point sugar crystallises up the side of the pot, dip the pastry brush in cold water and rub them with it until they dissolve. This stops the entire mixture from crystallising. If you see the top of the huka (sugar) start to crystallise in the centre, swirl the pot a few times around and around.
- Once all of the sugar mix has changed colour to a a deep amber, pour in the kirīmi (cream) and stir quickly with a whisk. Add in the pata (butter) and tote (salt) and continue to whisk.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for one more minute. Pour in to a heat proof bowl or jar. Stir through the wanira. Whakamātaohia (refrigerate) for 30 minutes as you make the other layers.
The Crumb Layer – Te Paparanga Kongakonga (optional layer)
- Crush the nati makatāmia (macadamia nuts) in a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Add the pihikete wīti (wheat biscuits) and crush them too. Stir through the pata (butter).
- Add in to the bottom of 6 x 200ml glasses. Leave them to the side.
The Chocolate Mousse – Te Purini Tiakarete
- Add the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) and the first measure of kirīmi (cream) in to a heat proof bowl. Melt gently in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring after each 20 seconds. You can also add the tikarete (chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) in to a heat proof bowl and gently melt over a pot of barely simmering water. Once they have melted, stir until a smooth ganache forms. Leave it aside to cool down to room temperature.
- Add the kirīmi anō (extra cream), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in to large bowl. Gently whip the cream until medium peaks are reached.
- Check the ganache temperature, can you hold your finger in the mixture? If you can and it is a similar temperature to your finger, it is ready. If it still warm, wait for 5 minutes. If it is too warm, it will split your cream!
- When it is cool enough, add a quarter of the whipped cream in to the cooled ganache. Fold with the gentleness of a feather, this helps keep the mousse lovely and light.
- Then add the ganache in four additions in to the whipped cream. After each addition, fold the mixture carefully.
- Gently distribute the mousse in to the six cups. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes minimum for the mousse to set, it may need up to an hour. Check that it has set by pressing gently on the top, it should be firm-ish.
- Divide the cooled karamea (caramel) between the set mousse.
- Chill for a minimum of 3 hours and top with your favourite additions. These will keep well in the fridge for up to five days before serving. If you are storing them for five days, place them in a sealed container.
The Decoratons – Ngā Whakarākei (Optional)
- Pipe on the kirīmi kua wepua (whipped cream) and sprinkle over ruireka (sprinkles). If you want the cream to be two tone, add a dollop of any karamea (caramel) in to half of the kirīmi (cream) and fold it through before piping. Serve and enjoy!
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