Strawberry Mousse Domes with Pastry Cream Insert

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip - do not cream too long as we do not want to add too much air into the mixture.

Add vanilla extract, followed by the hazelnut meal and flour - combine well. If the mixture is too crumbly, add a tablespoon of milk just enough to make a ball. Tip - do not add too much milk as we want a nice crumbly texture for the base.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven at 350 °F / 180 °C / Gas Mark 4

Roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick sheet on a lightly floured surface. Using a cookie cutter the same size as your mold cut the base for the domes. Tip - I prefer to make the base the same size as the domes. That's because we are not using any glaze. You can make the base smaller as well.

Place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 mins until lightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Tip - these can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

You can watch a video - how I make this vanilla pastry cream

in a heavy saucepan, combine cold milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Cook on medium heat until the milk comes to almost boil.

Lower the heat to low and continue to stir until the mixture gets thick and cooks the back of a wooden spoon.Tip - we reduce the heat so the milk does not burn, if you have any scorched milk at the bottom do not scrape it.

Add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and remove from heat.

Use a small 1 ½ inch semicircle silicone dome. While still warm pour the pastry cream into the domes silicon molds. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until firmTip - you will have excess pastry cream which can be enjoyed as a dessert on its own. While the recipe can be adjusted it is easier to work with these quantities.

You can watch a video - how I make this strawberry mousse. Prepare the strawberry mousse only after the pastry cream domes are frozen.

Combine the agar-agar with 4 tbsp of water. Let soak for 3 minutes then heat in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds until completely dissolved. Let cool slightly

Blend the strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a sieve or mesh. Then add the sugar and combine well.

Add the melted agar-agar to the strawberry puree. The best way to do this is to add a few tablespoons of strawberry puree to the agar-agar. Then combine the two. Tip - adding a little strawberry puree to the agar-agar first will temper and prevent the agar-agar from becoming lumpy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment - whip the cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks.

Then gently combine the whipped cream and strawberry mixture. This is your strawberry mousse ready

Use a large 3-inch dome silicon mold. Fill it halfway with mousse, then insert the frozen pastry cream dome we created earlier.

Shake the pan to remove air pocket and use a finger to let the dome sink in slightlyTip - we want the insert in the center not to the top or the bottom so press down but not too much either.

Top with more strawberry mousse. Use a spatula to level the top and scrape any excess.

Place in the freezer for about 2 to 3 hours or until firmTip - we are not going to glaze these but we still need to freeze them or they will not come out of the mold in one piece.

Blend the strawberries in a food processor until smooth.Tip - you can blend the strawberries for the mousse and coulis at the same time. Just remember to separate them appropriately.

In a saucepan, add water, cornstarch, sugar, and strawberry puree. Cook on low until the mixture is thick and translucent. Tip - we want this to be pouring consistency, so do not make it too thick. If necessary add a few tablespoons of water.

Strain thru a sieve once again and let cool to room temperature. Tip - straining it again will give a smooth glossy coulis

When the strawberry mousse domes are firm, invert the silicone molds and remove them from the mold.

Place each dome on the prepared hazelnut cookie crust.

Top with a teaspoon of thick strawberry coulis if you have used a dome with a hollowed center. Garnish with a mint leaf, strawberry slice. I use sugar flowers.Tip - Alternatively you can glaze the dome with thick pouring consistency strawberry coulis before you place it on the cookie crust.

Let thaw in the fridge for an hour before you serve so the mousse is soft not frozen.

Enjoy!