Fresh and Aromatic Basil Infused Desserts That Are Sweet and Worth Ditching The Calorie Count

Are you in your fresh herby era where you are stocking up on fresh herbs and greens? Look no further than this article that covers everything basil and its sweet yet sharp sting that is a good addition to select desserts. Mousse, ice cream, mini dessert pies and bites are excellent options to add fresh basil to. You might be relived to know these are dessert recipes without oven, meaning they are no bake. These do not fall under the quick dessert recipes, you will need ample time to chill these desserts for best results.

1. Basil Mousse

(8 servings)

Ingredients:

For Making the Gelatin:

• ½ tbsp unflavored gelatin powder
• 30 ml cold milk
• For the Mousse:
• 100 gm toasted sugar
• 42 gm fresh basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 115 gm white chocolate (chopped)
• 340 ml milk (divided)
• 225 ml heavy cream

For garnish:

• Strawberries, raspberries, oranges (macerated)
• Slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. To make the gelatin: Mix the gelatin with the milk in a ramekin or small cup, stirring with a fork to dissolve any lumps.

2. For the mousse: In a food processor, combine the sugar and basil, then grind until reduced to a wet pulp. In a saucepan, combine the basil-sugar mixture with the salt, white chocolate, and about 1/3 of the milk. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the white chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is hot to the touch, but not simmering. Remove from heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until fully dissolved.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing on the basil solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Stir in the remaining milk, then cover and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 3 hours or to 4°C.

4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the chilled base on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 90 seconds.

5. In the same stand mixer bowl, whip the cream with the whisk attachment until thick and stiff, about 3 minutes. Gently fold about half the whipped cream into the basil mixture, then fold in the remaining cream.

6. Transfer the mousse to a piping bag, snip off a 6mm tip, and pipe into serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.

7. Serve the mousse with fresh sliced and macerated fruit, and garnish with nuts.

Tip:

To macerate the fruits, wash and remove any leaves or peels from the fruits and let them sit in sugar syrup with a dash of lemon juice for a couple of hours, or overnight.

2. Basil Strawberry Ice cream

Ingredients

(4 servings)

• 500 gm strawberries
• 145 gm sugar
• 15 gm fresh basil
• 1 ½ tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Remove the tops off the strawberries and wash thoroughly. Cut the tops off and cut into quarters.

2. Put the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle sugar on them. Let them macerate for at least an hour while mixing them in between.

3. Now put these sugar-drenched strawberries along with the liquid, the basil leaves, and lemon juice into a blender.

4. Seal this mix into a plastic bag and place it in the freezer. Make sure to use a rolling pin to whack it every half hour to avoid the formation of ice crystals.

3. Blackberry Basil Dessert Bites

(12 servings)

Ingredients:

• 500 gm fresh blackberries
• 60 gm fresh basil (julienned)
• 170 gm sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg whites
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
• A pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, gently combine the fresh blackberries, sweetened condensed milk, and sliced fresh basil. Set this berry mixture aside.

2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, creating a meringue.

3. Carefully fold the meringue into the berry mixture until just combined.

4. If not using cupcake liners, grease a standard cupcake tin. Scoop the berry-meringue batter into the prepared cups, making sure to include a few blackberries in each.

5. Bake the cupcakes at 160°C for 10 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown.

6. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before gently removing them from the tin, if not using liners.

7. These cupcakes can be served as is, or garnished with an extra blackberry, a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate ganache, or a spoonful of berry-flavored Greek yogurt.