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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Nannyberry Mousse

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Nannyberry mousse Once I made my nanny berry butter, and then used it to start working on a nannyberry pudding, I wanted to figure out different ways to serve it. The cornstarch pudding (see the recipe here) is a hybrid between pastry cream and thick cornstarch pudding resembling Russian kissel.

After the pudding sets, I cut it into slices and garnished them with a few complimentary flavors that go well with bananas or raisins. As I worked, I wondered if I couldn’t use the derivative recipe in another way similar to one of my favorite desserts set with gelatin: the bavarois, or bavarian cream. A bavarian is basically a panna cotta with whipped cream or egg whites folded into it when the mixture is chilled to begin setting.

Nannyberry butter recipe

Step 1: nannyberry butter

Nannyberry-Maple Pudding Recipe

Step 2: nanny berry pudding

Nannyberry mousse

Step 3: nannyberry mousse

Whipping a little extra cream is extra work, sure, but the lightness of air bubbles pays off in spades as a delicious way to relax and add delicateness to something that would otherwise be a little heavy. As a bonus, the cornstarch and egg combo gives a strong set, which translates to a bulletproof mousse that you don’t have to worry about falling and losing volume if it hangs out in the fridge or in some custard dishes for a few days, which means that it’s also great to make ahead, up to 2-3 days.

Nannyberry mousse
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Nannyberry Pudding

A rich mousse made from nannyberry preserves. Serves 6-8
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: Chocolate Mousse, nannyberry
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Ramekins or Custard Dishes, Beaters or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Nannyberry Pudding

  • ¾ cup very thick nannyberry butter, sweetened with maple syrup as per my recipe (increase the sugar to 3/4 cup here if you didn't sweeten your nannyberry butter). See recipe here
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch + 4 Tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Good pinch of salt

Final Mousse (optional)

  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Nannyberry Pudding

  • Oil a small 3-4 cup souffle mold, or individual custard dishes, then line with cling film.
  • Mix the cornstarch, ¼ cup sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, lemon and water to make a slurry.
  • Heat the nannyberry butter and the half and half, whisking, until hot and steaming, but not boiling.
  • Stir in the cornstarch-egg slurry and whisk constantly, keeping the heat at medium, until the mixture thickens, then turn the heat down to as low as possible and continue whisking for a few minutes more, or until you can tell the cornstarch is completely activated.
  • Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter, then transfer the pudding to the prepared mold(s) and refrigerate overnight, or until the pudding is set and able to be unmolded.

Nannyberry Mousse

  • Whip 1 cup of cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the pudding when it’s completely cooled to room temperature, then refrigerate. Before serving, spoon the mousse into custard cups. Good garnishes could be fruit coulis, orange custard sauce, persimmons, and or toasted nuts, especially black walnuts.

Notes

The mousse can be made days ahead of time, packed into a pastry bag as pictured, and piped into whatever vessel you like just before serving. It can also be used as the filling for a crepe cake, or another dessert you could serve chilled.
A splash of Gran Marnier or Tuaca is nice to add while the pudding is cooking, if you have some. 

Related

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Doug

    November 21, 2021 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    We really enjoyed the pudding – thanks! Next time we might try out the mousse, if we have cream on hand.

    A few remarks:
    – you don’t mention when to add the sugar – we added it to the half-and-half after it was warmed up
    – when making the nannyberry puree, we didn’t add any maple — it wasn’t clear if your nannyberry butter was sweetened here, but we assumed it wasn’t, and didn’t adjust the sugar amount here at all; the sweetness of the result was just fine
    – we made many small puddings using a silicone mini muffin pan, which was fun

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      November 21, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Doug, if you look at the recipe, it reads to add the sugar with the cornstarch, but there was a little discrepancy with the amounts, which I edited for clarity. I also clarified the sweetening of the nannyberry butter, I like it with maple, but it’s fine without as it does help you control the sugar when you use it in baking. Glad it worked out for you even with my scatterbrained description.

      Reply

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Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each instead of the pound. 

Good day today, although my Twin Cities spots seem a full two weeks behind from the late spring. 2 hours south they were almost all mature. 

76 for me and 152 for the group. Check your spots, and good luck! 

#morels #murkels #mollymoochers #drylandfish #spongemushroom #theprecious
The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natu The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natural secretion of water I typically see with plants. 

I understand it as an indicator that the mushrooms are growing rapidly, and a byproduct of their metabolism speeding up. If you have some clarifications, chime in. 

Most people know it from Hydnellum 
peckii-another polypore. I’ve never seen it on pheasant backs before.

Morels are coming soon too. Mine were 1 inch tall yesterday in the Twin Cities. 

#guttation #mushroomhunting #cerioporussquamosus #pheasantback #naturesbeauty
Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a grocery store. 

#groceryshopping #sochan #rudbeckialaciniata #foraging
Italian wild food traditions are some of my favori Italian wild food traditions are some of my favorite. 

Case in point: preboggion, a mixture of wild plants, that, depending on the reference, should be made with 5-23 individual plants. 

Here’s a few mixtures I’ve made this spring, along with a reference from the Oxford companion to Italian food. 

The mixture should include some bitter greens (typically assorted asters) but the most important plant is probably borage. 

Making your own version is a good excercise. Here they’re wilted with garlic and oil, but there’s a bunch of traditional recipes the mixture is used in. 

Can you believe this got cut from my book?!

#preboggion #preboggiun #foraging #traditionalfoods
Oh the things I get in the mail. This is my kind Oh the things I get in the mail. 

This is my kind of tip though: a handmade buckskin bag with a note and a handful of bleached snapping turtle claws. 😁😂 

Sent in by Leslie, a reader. 

Smells like woodsmoke and the cat quickly claimed it as her new bed. 

#buckskin #mailsurprise #turtleclaws #thisimylife #cathouse
Bluebell season. Destined for a Ligurian ravioli Bluebell season. 

Destined for a Ligurian ravioli as a replacement for the traditional borage greens. 

#mertensiavirginica #virginiabluebells #spring #foraging
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