Name: Eggnog Mousse
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 125 g gingerbread cookies (crushed); 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted); 2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold); 1 cup milk; 1 cup eggnog; 6 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch; 2 tsp gelatin (6g or three sheets (depending on size)); 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped out); 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; pinch ground cloves; pinch ground cinnamon

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This Eggnog Mousse with Gingerbread Streusel is the perfect make-ahead dessert for your holiday entertaining!

Throwing back to one of my very first holiday recipes on the blog (from Dec 2015!). This Eggnog Mousse actually originated way back in Pastry School. My friend Lindsay and I made this as part of our Final Menu Development.

Ryan and a few lucky others got to sample it at that time, and he’d been asking me to make it ever since. Being the loving wife that I am, I agreed to make this for him. And I really couldn’t say no after he brought home these adorable eggnog mason jar mugs which were just perfect for this mousse. He knew what he was doing, alright!

How to Make Eggnog Mousse

I changed the recipe up only slightly from the one we made in school. That one didn’t actually use any eggnog, just eggnog components. I wanted to intensify that eggnog flavor a bit, so I used some eggnog in the mousse itself.

The mousse is a simple version of pastry cream, lightened up with some whipped cream and stabilized with some gelatin. I have a detailed tutorial on How to Make Pastry Cream so be sure to check that out for tips.

Gingerbread Streusel

The base is a simple gingerbread streusel that pairs perfectly with the fluffy mousse. I used crushed ginger cookies, combined them with some melted butter and baked to create a streusel.

To save time you can simply use crushed cookies on the bottom, but know that these will soften over time quicker than the streusel would.

Eggnog mousse with holiday decor around it.

You can pipe the mousse into any decorative mug, bowl, or mason jar. I tried to find a link to the cute mason jar mugs I have here but I don’t think they are available anymore. All I know is that Ryan got them at Chapters years ago.

If you’re a National Lampoons fan like I am, you could totally use something like the Moose mug for the mousse! How perfect would that be?? In hindsight that may have been an even more perfect option.

This Eggnog Mousse is really simple to make, and you can make it a day or two in advance since it needs some time to set anyway.

The gingerbread streusel on the bottom is not a critical component, but it adds a delicious flavor and texture, and is a perfect complement to the eggnog flavor.

Looking for more Eggnog Recipes?

Tips for Making this Eggnog Mousse

Make sure you use cold cream, a cold bowl, and a cold whisk to whip the cream. This will make it fluffier.
I used 6g of gelatin in this which is about 2 tsp. If you’re using sheets, it should be about 3 sheets provided they are about 6g each. Sheets may differ in weight.
You can make this mousse a couple of days in advance and refrigerate until serving.

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5 from 2 votes

Eggnog Mousse

This Eggnog Mousse with Gingerbread Streusel is the perfect make-ahead dessert for your holiday entertaining!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 627kcal

Author Olivia

Ingredients

Gingerbread Streusel:

125 g gingerbread cookies crushed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

Eggnog Mousse:

2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
1 cup milk
1 cup eggnog
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp gelatin 6g or three sheets (depending on size)
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped out
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Gingerbread Streusel:

Pulse cookies in a food processor until coarse. Place in bowl and stir in enough melted butter so that the streusel starts to clump. Spread over parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 5mins.
Cool completely and spoon into bottom of jars/bowls.

Eggnog Mousse:

Place cream into a bowl with a whisk (or whisk attachment) and place in fridge.*
Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp cold water and set aside.
Combine milk and eggnog in a bowl or large measuring cup. Place 1 1/2 cups of the milk/eggnog mixture into a pot with the spices & vanilla bean paste. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture boils.
While the mixture is heating, in a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk/eggnog mixture with egg the yolks, sugar, and corn starch to form a thick paste.
While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot eggnog milk into the egg mixture.
Return mixture to the pot and cook over med-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
Take off the heat, stir in gelatin until combined.
Strain into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely (you can use an ice bath to speed the process).
Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks. Pour the cooled egg mixture over the whipped cream and fold in gently.
Pipe into mason jars or pour/scoop into bowls. Place in the fridge to set for 1-2 hours.

Notes

*The colder your cream and utensils are, the better it whips up!

Calories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 10gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 332mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 274mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 1683IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Originally published on Dec 27, 2015

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Tips for Making this Eggnog Mousse