Black Currant and Yogurt Mousse

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Tantalising colour, inebriating, strong aroma and unique, sophisticated tart flavour… I was completely taken aback by this new version of my staple yogurt and fruit mousse. The results of this experiment went well beyond my expectations and proved that black currant operates like a magic wand, taking everything to an unforgettable, superior sensory level.

I remember when already as a small, tanginess-loving child I was thrilled to be able to eat finally ripe black currants straight from the bush, hypnotised by the amazing aroma of both the fruits and the leaves. For long years, apart from its fresh form, the only black currant product I knew was my beloved tart, almost black jam which has no equals and is particularly excellent in cakes. Several years ago I started to infuse vodkas and quickly realised that the black currant one beats by far all the other fruit alcohols I have ever made. This light dessert will be one more reason I will impatiently wait every year for the short black currant season.

If you feel like experimenting other black currant recipes, you might like to try the amazing Black Currant Infused Vodka:

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If you find only red currants, you can test them in this mousse too (though I don’t guarantee the results: I haven’t tried them yet this way) or check the fabulous hot and sweet red currant jelly at Eva’s Kitchen Inspirations.

TIPS: The amounts of gelatin depend sometimes on the brand. Leaves are sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller,  powdered gelatin sometimes contains other products and doesn’t set as well as pure gelatin in powder… In short, the aim here is to use the amount of gelatin which sets 500 ml/2 cups/about 17 oz liquid. (The whole mousse mixture has more than 500 ml, so the mousse will be firm but not hard as a standard jelly).

The mousses keep well in the fridge for several days (up to five days if the fruits are fresh), but this particular black currant one loses a lot of its aroma after about two days. If you want to serve the mousse for a dinner, you can prepare it a day before. It will be ready after 30 minutes in the fridge.

The only annoying part here is removing the dry black currants tips, but it’s definitely worth the effort and time. I did it with small scissors.

Preparation: 10 minutes+ 2 – 3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4):

300 g (about 10,5 oz) unsweetened natural yogurt (you can use also Greek yogurt, which will make this mousse creamier) 

150 – 200 g (about 5 – 6 oz) black currants (hulled, with dry tips removed)

4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener (or no sugar if you prefer your mousse to be very tangy)

1 tablespoon gelatin in powder or other amount necessary to set 500 ml liquid, see TIPS above (you can use leaves too, in amounts necessary to set 500 ml/2 cups liquid)

some black currants for the decoration

Mix the black currants (without the dry tips!) in a food processor or a blender. Add the sugar and the yogurt (remove the liquid floating on the surface). Mix once more.

Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm water (if using leaves, soften them in cold water, squeeze and dissolve also in 4 tablespoons warm water).

In a food processor mix well the dissolved gelatin with the strawberry mixture.

Divide the mousse into serving dishes.

Put the mousse into the fridge for 2 -3 hours until it sets.

Serve very cold.

42 Replies to “Black Currant and Yogurt Mousse”

  1. Your first paragraph captures everything that I was thinking when I saw that GORGEOUS picture! What a color!! It makes me want to run out and find some black currents! I haven’t seen currents at the market yet, but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for them. My mouth is watering right now. I actually don’t know how this could keep in the refrigerator for several days. Bobby and I would finish it off on day 1. 🙂 WOW!

    1. Thank you so much, MJ. I was surprised myself at the beauty of the hue black currants produce in this mousse. I hope you will find black currants soon.

  2. That’s the prettiest colour of dessert that I’ve ever seen, Sissi. I wish I could say that I would make it myself but when I’m in the mood for a creamy snack, the prepackaged flavoured, fat free yogurts are more in line with my eating habits. 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for the kind compliment. (Though it’s entirely thanks to black currant; I was surprised I needed such a small amount to colour the yogurt, compared to blueberries for example). I have a huge aversion towards sweetened yogurts. They are always way too sweet for me and I know they put a tiny amount of fruits. I prefer buying natural yogurt and either chopping fresh fruit into it or simply mixing with good jam if I want it sweeter (the latter is extremely popular in France).

    1. Thank you so much, Robert-Gilles. The recipe is really simple: one of the dozens of my yogurt mousse desserts 😉 I remember you come from a very gourmet city 😉

  3. Czarna porzeczka to zdecydowany rarytas! Ja tez uwielbiam nalewke, choc u mnie musi byc bardzo nisko procentowa 😉 Musem tez chetnie sie poczestuje 🙂

    Pozdrawiam! I milej niedzieli zycze 🙂

    1. Dzieki, Bea. Ostatnio zauwazylam, ze Ty tez jestes wielbicielka czarnej porzeczki. Nalewke czesto stosuje w koktajlach tez; jak crème de cassis.

    1. Thanks a lot, Karen. The taste was amazing, but the aroma was even better. I wish I could share both with you.

    1. Thank you so much, Katerina. I was also surprised (pleasantly!) by the colour (though not by the taste: I have always loved black currant).

    1. Hi, Elisabeth. I am so flattered by your compliments… Thank you so much! The dessert was yummy indeed!

  4. The yogurt brands I’ve tried aren’t overly sweet for me and between the size and the convenience, they’re just right. 🙂 I have stirred a bit of apricot jam into plain yogurt and it IS good. I really enjoyed the black currant infused vodka liqueur that you posted. Creme de cassis is wonderful.

    1. You know, in general, I have a problem with sweetness level of most sweetened products… I still remember when I was a student the only sweetened yogurt I would buy was with prune one because it had a certain acidity… I remember as a child tasting my very first Mars bar: I couldn’t finish it; it was so sickly sweet to me. Too sweet. (Same experience with Snickers etc..). The only really very sweet stuff I like is dulce de leche/caramel. I don’t know why, but I find it addictive.

    1. Thank you so much, Hester. Lucky you! I wish I could just go and pick black currants straight from the bush… The black currant vodka is a favourite of all my friends (even those who usually don’t drink alcohol!).

    1. Thank you so much, Shuhan. I totally agree. I made it again yesterday and kept on looking at it, thinking that if I saw it in a supermarket I would be certain they added some artificial colourings 😉

    1. Hi, Kiki. Actually, the black currants for this photo came straight from Germany 😉 (During my last trip I have made a stop at an organic shop).

  5. I actually saw some blackcurrants for sale this year… my God, I almost fell over in shock. They were sitting there on the market. I wanted to buy some but I was in such a rush, and typically I haven’t seen them since. It’s not a common fruit around this part I think. I’m convinced it’s a big conspiracy by the creme de cassis manufacturer who steals the whole crop every year for production of their damn liquor!

    Still, though – the colour of this is fantastic Sissi. Truly eye-catching and I can imagine the flavour… even though it’s been some years since I was able to eat blackcurrants (actually it was in England, lol) one can’t forget their beautiful flavour!

    1. Thanks a lot, Charles. I must say I see them every year on both Swiss and French markets, but the season is short, so you have to be lucky and look for them regularly. It’s also not as universally loved as an apple or a strawberry (and not as easy to cook/eat), so you won’t see them at every stall. They are definitely easier to get than gherkins, though.

    1. Thank you, Kiran. I’m sorry to hear that. Here they are sold at farmers’ markets only but I’m lucky to find them every year.

  6. I was certain I left some words on your beautiful post, but it looks like they didn’t stick, so sorry about that! Such a coincidence that you and I both posted about currants–great minds! I love the colour, so summery! I haven’t yet had a chance to play with the agar agar, but I’m very excited about it. I’m not sure it’s the right kind though, it looks like it’s already sweetend so I’ll have to be particularly careful on the recipe I chose, like you I prefer less sweet desserts. We’re heading up north again for five or so days again so I won’t be trying anything interesting while we are there as my pantry is rather empty (it’s too much trouble to stock it up only for the five months we can use it).

    1. Thank you so much, Eva. Yes, it seems it’s currant season on our hemisphere 😉 This mousse is made with gelatin, not agar agar (I haven’t obtained a mousse with it yet, only a wobbly dessert). If your agar is already sweetened, then ignore whatever you read in my posts… I have given amounts of pure agar powder. If you use any other mixture, simply make sure you don’t add the amount indicated on the package: add, say, 3/4 of the amount. Otherwise you will end up with a jelly so hard you will cut it with a knife! if 3/4 still gives a jelly that is too hard, try 2/3 next time and so on. I’m sure you will end up with a correct amount.
      Even if your agar is sweetened, I don’t think it’s a lot of sugar… I buy here sometimes sweetened gelatin powder (I hate using gelatin leaves, so I prefer it than nothing) and it doesn’t sweeten the dessert at all. The sugar amount is tiny. On the other hand, I often don’t add sugar at all if fruits are very sweet…
      Have wonderful holidays!

  7. Lovely dessert Sissi…I never had fresh black currant…I wish to find some so I can make this simple and yet elegant dessert.
    Hope you are having a great week 😀

    1. Thank you so much, Juliana. You can prepare it with any fruit you like really… but I hope you will be able to taste fresh black currants one day!

  8. I had never tried fresh currant before. Only currant that I tasted was from currant scones from bakeries…and I’m sure they used dried ones. What a gorgeous color of yogurt mousse! It’s a nice healthy treat for summer (or any) time!

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