Vietnamese Coffee Mousse

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Vietnamese coffee gets its distinctive flavour from sweetened condensed milk. This recipe turns that classic pairing into a light, creamy mousse that’s as easy to make as it is delicious to eat.

Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup warm water
• 1½ tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 packet (1 tbsp) unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and espresso powder, and stir until the espresso dissolves. Sprinkle the gelatin overtop and let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
2. In a small saucepan set over low heat, heat the condensed milk and vanilla together for 5 minutes. Stir in the gelatin mixture, and continue cooking until the gelatin dissolves, about 1–2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes to come down to room temperature.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold in the cooled coffee mixture, then spoon into 4 serving dishes and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the gelatin to set. Serve chilled.

A Little About Vietnamese Cuisine…

Vietnamese food is its own blend of different surrounding cultures. What you eat and how you cook is very essential in Vietnam. In the tenth century, Mongolian people from the north invaded Vietnam and brought beef with them. This is how beef became part of the Vietnamese diet. For 1,000 years the Chinese had dominated Vietnam teaching them cooking techniques such as stir frying and deep frying, even the use of chopsticks. When the French colonized Vietnam (1858–1954), they introduced foods such as baguettes (French bread), coffee and cream, milk, butter, custards, and cakes. In the 1960's and 1970's (Vietnam War era), the U.S. military introduced ice cream to Vietnam. Before Vietnam contracted with two U.S. dairies to build dozens of ice cream factories, the U.S. military introduced ice cream to Vietnam. Vietnamese food is all served at once instead of being divided into different courses. Food is set out on a common dish on a low table. The family sits on mats on the floor to enjoy their meals while each person receives a rice bowl, chopsticks, and a soup spoon. Most meals include soup, a stir-fry or other main dish, a light salad, and a variety of side dishes. Popular handheld snacks include spring rolls or pork meatballs on a stick. Tea ( che or tra ) is the most common beverage in Vietnam. Tea is served before and after meals, never during. It is routine to prepare enough tea for the whole day first thing in the morning for unexpected visitors, etc. Coffee is grown in Vietnam and is readily available in cities. Most in Vietnam prefer tea. Coffee can be served both hot and cold, caphe is a well-known Vietnamese beverage consisting of coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Fresh coconut milk is another popular drink that is widely available from street vendors, who simply cut the top off a young coconut and then serve it with a straw. Currently, Vietnamese cuisine has been gaining popularity and can be found widely in many other countries such as the U.S, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, and France.