Marion's column: Maple Mousse roars with flavor

Originally published June 3, 1999.

One thing home cooks have in common is a drawer full of recipes awaiting a chance to be tested. With any luck, they'll become favorite dishes. My collection includes recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines. Some are written with an enthusiastic description, such as "this is divine," or "the best ever."

Not long ago, I tried a maple mousse recipe with only three ingredients - and it really was divine. The mousse's icy cold creaminess and smooth maple-syrup taste make a great accompaniment to summer fresh fruit.

Another gem I discovered in my drawer is a variation of gazpacho, a suitable dish to serve in hot weather. This variation is for a white gazpacho, which is still served chilled and is essentially a liquid salad. The white version is made from cucumbers. Ground or finely chopped almond can be added to it.

Marion Cunningham is the author of many cookbooks, including the last two editions of "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook." She lives in California.

.

White Gazpacho

- 4 cucumbers (about 2 lb.), peeled, seeded, divided

- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped, divided

- 1/4 c. onion, coarsely chopped, divided

- 3 c. chicken broth, divided

- 1 c. sour cream

- 1 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

- Tabasco sauce to taste

Garnishes:

- 4 tbsp. chopped green bell pepper

- 3 tbsp. chopped green onions

Process the remaining half of the cucumbers, garlic, onion, and 1 cup chicken broth as before. Pour into the container and stir in the remaining 1 cup chicken broth, sour cream, vinegar, salt and Tabasco. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Refrigerate until chilled. Serve with a little of the garnish on top of each bowl.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 103

Carbohydrates 7 g

Fat 7 g

including sat. fat 4 g

Cholesterol 22 mg

Sodium 960 mg

Calcium 59 mg

.

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable exch., and 1 1/2 fat exch.

Maple Mousse

Makes 4 cups.

Note: This recipe uses uncooked egg white, which is not recommended for food-safety reasons for pregnant women, the elderly, children or those with health concerns. It is possible to either use powdered egg white or the white of a pasteurized egg.

- 3/4 c. very hot maple syrup

- 1 c. heavy cream

Beat the egg white until it begins to thicken. Slowly add the hot maple syrup and continue beating until it is all absorbed and you have a thick meringue-like mixture.

Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until stiff, incorporating as much air as possible into the whipped cream. Fold into the maple mixture. Pour into a 1-quart mold and freeze.

Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving; the texture will be more pleasing.

Calories 170

Carbohydrates 21 g

Protein 1 g

Fat 9 g

including sat. fat 6 g

Sodium 20 mg

Calcium 41 mg

Dietary fiber 0 g

.