Hojicha Mousse Japanese Dessert (Printable)

A refined Japanese dessert showcasing roasted hojicha tea flavors in a light, airy mousse made without heavy cream for an elegant finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Hojicha Base

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha tea leaves
02 - 200 ml whole milk

→ Mousse Mixture

03 - 3 large eggs, separated
04 - 60 g granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Stabilizer

07 - 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
08 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

09 - Toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Add hojicha tea leaves, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain to remove leaves and cool slightly.
02 - Sprinkle powdered gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes.
03 - In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 30 g sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly whisk in the warm hojicha milk.
04 - Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot mixture until completely dissolved. Mix in vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
06 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 30 g sugar and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
07 - Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled hojicha mixture in three additions, being careful not to deflate the mousse.
08 - Spoon the mixture into serving glasses or ramekins. Chill for at least 2 hours until set.
09 - Garnish with toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs before serving if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dessert that feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough that you won't stress about it.
  • No heavy cream means you can eat a proper portion without that heavy-in-the-stomach feeling afterward.
  • Hojicha has this subtle warmth that makes it feel sophisticated, but it's actually pretty forgiving to work with once you understand it.
02 -
  • The gelatin really does need to bloom first, or it'll clump into little rubber bits that even the best whisking won't fix—I learned this the hard way with a batch of grainy mousse.
  • Room temperature hojicha mixture is non-negotiable before you fold in the whites, because if it's too warm it'll collapse the egg whites, and too cold it'll seize into lumps.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about separating eggs without even a speck of yolk getting into the whites, do it into separate bowls first, then transfer the whites to your mixing bowl—it's an extra step but gives you peace of mind.
  • A fine mesh strainer really does make the difference between a silky mousse and one with tiny grainy bits, so don't skip it when you're straining the hojicha milk.
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