Light Raspberry Mousse

You will need a large glass bowl (1.1 litres/2 pints) or 6–8 dessert glasses.

2. Soak the gelatine in a small heatproof bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until soft. Squeeze out the liquid from the gelatine and tip away all but 1 tablespoon of water. Put the gelatine back into the bowl with the reserved tablespoon of water. Set the bowl on top of a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir for a few minutes until the gelatine is dissolved and runny. Remove from the heat and set aside to keep warm.

3. Whizz the raspberries in a food processor until blended to a smooth pulp. Place in a sieve above a bowl and push the pulp through with a metal spoon to remove the seeds.

4. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl. Use an electric hand whisk to whisk the eggs and sugar for 4–5 minutes or until thick, pale and fluffy and when you lift up the whisk, a trail is left in the mixture. Stir in the raspberry purée, followed by the runny gelatine.

5. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then carefully fold into the raspberry mixture (see tip). In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Stir 2 tablespoons of the egg whites into the raspberry mixture, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

6. Spoon into the large glass bowl or divide between the individual glasses, then chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours until set. Serve straight from the fridge, decorated with the remaining raspberries and sprigs of mint.

Chilling time: minimum of 4 hours.

Prepare Ahead:

The mousse can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept in the fridge.

Mary’s Classic Tip:

* It is important to keep folding the whipped cream into the raspberry mixture until smooth and evenly coloured throughout and no lumps remain, otherwise the resulting mousse will be flecked with spots of white cream.