Three ingredients. Surprisingly, that’s all it takes to make this floating on air Orange Mousse! It’s lighter than a feather and like most of my desserts, it’s low sugar too, coming in at less than 6g sugar per serving (compared to 30g sugar in a doughnut). This is a good dessert choice for a diabetic.
Known as a ‘Creamsicle’ by some, this Orange Mousse will resurface some old memories and hopefully create some new ones.
The French word ‘Mousse’ translates as ‘foam,’ describing the airy texture of Mousse. Mousse is quick and easy to make and often uses up leftover orange juice and cream. I’m always left with juice and whipping cream, after I serve a special brunch, so I automatically make Orange Mousse. The dairy in the whipped cream balances out the acid and sugar in the Orange Juice.
Ingredients
- Cream: whipping or heavy whipping cream.
- Corn starch.
- Orange juice: I used no pulp, low sugar juice.
Instructions
Whip the cream. Use a stand mixer, hand mixer or hand whisk. It will whip quicker if the bowl is cold. Stop when stiff peaks appear.
Add about 1 tbsp of juice to the cornstarch to make a slurry. Make sure it is well blended and there are no lumps.
Place the remaining orange juice into a pot and bring to a gentle boil over a medium heat.
Once the juice begins to form bubbles, immediately pour in the corn starch slurry and whisk to prevent lumps forming. Once thickened (after about 1 minute,) remove from heat.
Place a tablespoon of the thickened orange juice into the bottom of a glass serving dish.
Pour the remainder of thickened juice into the bowl of cream and gently fold the juice into the cream. For a good explanation how to fold see my recipe of Eggnog Cranberry Cheesecake.
Once the Orange Mousse has been made, transfer it from the bowl to a piping bag and pipe it into the glass dishes.
Optional: prepare a garnish using candied orange peel. Remove the peel from a washed orange. Cut strips of peel. Next cut the white part off, that’s the pith and it is bitter. Mix 1 tsp sugar with 1 tsp boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Dip each orange strip into the hot sugary water and then into sugar. Leave the strips to air dry. Gently brush off excess sugar. Twist the strip and lay 1 on each glass dish of Orange Mousse.
Flexibility
Any type of dairy cream will work except the pressurized can of squirty whipped cream. I used ultra pasteurized cream, which is very commonly available in stores.
Any type of Orange juice can be used in this recipe – reconstituted from frozen, fresh juice from the refrigerated section a grocery store, freshly squeezed and even shelf stable orange juice will work. The type of juice you use will determine the flavor and sweetness of the final result.
Make a blood Orange Mousse by using blood oranges, this will yield a beautifully unique color.
Or use this Orange Mousse as a frosting or filling for an orange based cake.
Add grated chocolate (2-3 oz) to create a chocolate Orange Mousse.
The add ins are endless, as this Mousse is so versatile.
Uses for Orange Mousse
This dessert being low in sugar, can absolutely make an appearance at brunch, lunch, and after dinner dessert. My favorite time to serve Orange Mousse is afternoon tea. It is a light alternative to the pastries and cakes that are usually on offer.
Storage
Store individual glasses of Orange Mousse in the refrigerator with plastic film covering them. For best results, consume within 4 days.
Freezing Orange Mousse will produce a light ice cream of sorts. Use an airtight container to store the frozen Mousse in. Do not defrost before eating, but rather treat it like ice cream.
Equipment
I used a hand mixer in this recipe, although the cream can be whisked by hand.
By clicking on the image, you will be redirected to a third party seller. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Tip From Me
Did you know that boiling or even simmering orange juice for any length of time will cause it to become bitter? If you need Orange juice to be thickened, then do not reduce it, instead use a food thickener such as corn starch.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – I hope!
- Can this be called a Mousse even though it does not contain egg? Yes, technically it is a Mousse. In order to be a Mousse, an aerator needs to be present. An aerator can be whipped cream, meringue (egg whites + sugar), pâte à bombe (whole eggs and/or egg yolks + sugar), or a combination. As this recipe uses whipped cream as an aerator, as a result, this can be considered a Mousse.
- Can I consider Orange Mousse a diabetic dessert? Yes, with less than 6g of sugar per serving, this is well below the sugar intake diabetics are recommended. In the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine, 50g of sugar per day is the recommended maximum amount when following a 2,000-calorie diet.
- What’s the difference between a Creamsicle and Orange Mousse? A Creamsicle is a popsicle consisting of vanilla ice cream on a stick coated in orange sherbet. It is a frozen treat that is high in sugar, high in high fructose corn syrup and contains artificial ingredients. This recipe for Orange Mousse has a similar flavor profile without the high sugar content and unwanted ingredients.
Orange Mousse
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz orange juice
- 10 oz whipping cream
- 3 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- Whip the cream. It will whip quicker if the bowl is cold. Stop when stiff peaks appear.
- Add about 1 tbsp of juice to the cornstarch to make a slurry. Make sure it is well blended and there are no lumps.
- Place the remaining orange juice into a pot and bring to a gently boil over a medium heat.
- Once the juice begins to form bubbles, immediately pour in the corn starch slurry and whisk to prevent lumps forming. Once thickened (after about 1 minute,) remove from heat.
- Place a tablespoon of the thickened orange juice into the bottom of a glass serving dish.
- Pour the remainder of thickened juice into the bowl of cream and gently fold the juice into the cream. For a good explanation how to fold see my recipe of Eggnog Cranberry Cheesecake.
- Once the Orange Mousse has been made, transfer it from the bowl to a piping bag and pipe it into the glass dishes.
- Optional: prepare a garnish using candied orange peel. Remove the peel from a washed orange. Cut strips of peel. Cut the white part off, that's the pith and it is bitter. Mix 1 tsp sugar with 1 tsp boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Dip each orange strip into the hot sugary water and then into sugar. Leave the strips to air dry. Gently brush off excess sugar. Twist the strip and lay 1 on each glass dish of Orange Mousse.
Comments