By: EatingWell

Photographer: Bartley, Mary Ellen

Publish Date: 2008-11-01

Servings: 8

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 7 hours (including 6 hours freezing time)

Prep Time: 1 hour

To Make Ahead: Cover and freeze for up to 4 days.

Recipe Description:

Pamper your guests with this pretty, elegant dessert--no one will ever guess that it easily conforms to any healthy weight-loss regime. A fluffy meringue creates a sublime texture, while just a little real whipped cream delivers velvety richness. Straining the raspberries is a labor of love (consider delegating this task), but all the work is done well ahead and the results are absolutely worth the effort, guaranteed.

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 6 cups fresh raspberries, or two 12-ounce packages unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed
2. 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, or , Splenda Granular (see Ingredient note)
3. 2 tablespoons orange juice
4. 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
5. 8 teaspoons dried egg whites, (see Ingredient notes), reconstituted in 1/2 cup warm water according to package directions (equivalent to 4 egg whites)
6. 2/3 cup sugar
7. 1/3 cup whipping cream
8. 2 cups fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and/or strawberries for garnish
9. Mint sprigs, for garnish

Recipe Steps:

1. Place a small mixing bowl in the freezer to chill for Step 5.
2. Puree raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve set over a large bowl; discard seeds. Measure out 1 cup raspberry puree, whisk in confectioners' sugar (or Splenda), cover and set aside in the refrigerator for sauce.
3. Place orange juice in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in gelatin. Let soften for 1 minute. Place over low heat and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, beat reconstituted egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
5. Beat cream in the chilled bowl until soft peaks form.
6. Add the melted gelatin to the remaining raspberry puree and whisk until blended. Set the bowl over a bowl of ice water and stir just until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Add one-fourth of the meringue to the raspberry puree and whisk until blended. Using a whisk, fold in the remaining meringue. With a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into a 6-cup metal bowl (or other decorative mold) or a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
7. To serve, fill a bowl or basin (large enough to hold the mold comfortably) with very hot water. Run a knife around the edges of the mold. Quickly dip the mold in hot water, then invert a serving platter over the top. Grasping the mold and platter, jerk downward several times. If the mousse does not release, dip in hot water again and repeat. Cut the mousse into wedges or slices. Serve with the reserved raspberry sauce and garnish each serving with a scattering of berries and a mint sprig.

Recipe Tips & Notes:

1. Substituting with Splenda: In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, sucralose is the only alternative sweetener we test with when we feel the option is appropriate. For nonbaking recipes, we use Splenda Granular (boxed, not in a packet). For baking, we use Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking, a mix of sugar and sucralose. It can be substituted in recipes (1/2 cup of the blend for each 1 cup of sugar) to reduce sugar calories by half while maintaining some of the baking properties of sugar. If you make a similar blend with half sugar and half Splenda Granular, substitute this homemade mixture cup for cup.
2. When choosing any low- or no-calorie sweetener, be sure to check the label to make sure it is suitable for your intended use.
3. Dried egg whites are pasteurized so this product is a wise choice in dishes that call for an uncooked meringue. They are also convenient in recipes calling for egg whites because there is no waste. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets. Dried egg whites can be ordered from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue, (800) 827-6836.
4. A stand-up mixer makes beating egg whites easier, but a hand-held electric mixer will work fine.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 168 calories; 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 1g mono unsaturated fat); 11 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 6 g fiber; 33 mg sodium; 184 mg potassium

Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Fiber (24% dv).

Exchanges: 2 fruit, 1 fat

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Recipe Categories:

Course(s)

Dessert

Cuisine(s)

American

Degree of Difficulty

Moderate

Special Health Consideration(s)

Low Calorie

High Fiber

Low Sat Fat

Low Sodium

Heart Healthy

Diabetes Appropriate

Seasons & Occassions

Spring

Summer

Mother's Day

Father's Day

Bridal Shower

Baby Shower

Entertainment

Housewarming

Birthday

Fourth of July

Main Ingredient(s)

Dairy & Soy

Other

Technique(s)

Hand Mixer

Freeze

Food Processor

Chill

Standing Mixer

Dish Type(s)

Desserts, Frozen

Desserts

Recipe Disclaimer(s):

Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Eating Well cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.

Gluten-Free Disclaimer: We have verified that these recipes do not include the following gluten-containing ingredients: wheat (all varieties, including spelt and kamut, wheat germ or bran and other forms of wheat protein), rye, barley (in all forms, including malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar and malt extract), oats, triticale or beer/ale. However, many processed foods, such as broths, soy sauce and other condiments, may contain hidden sources of gluten. If a recipe calls for a packaged (e.g., canned) ingredient, we recommend that you carefully read the label to be sure it does not contain a hidden source of gluten.