We’re not big on Valentine’s Day in our house.

Not being in school, there are no Valentine boxes to hang from desks, no cutesy cards (or glut of candy) to buy for classmates, no counting to see who got more…  My husband and I similarly haven’t ever done much to mark the occasion.  I think one year, while we were dating, I made him a huge heart shaped chocolate chip cookie.  LOL

I do enjoy doing a little something now that we have kids.  Nothing big.  I’m not making heart bunting to string through the house or planning an elaborate meal.  We put up some heart shaped static stickers.  And I couldn’t resist using some cute heart shaped ramekins that I picked up for about a buck a piece.

Chocolate Everywhere

I considered making something decadently chocolate.  There is certainly no shortage of recipes around (Pinterest has been flooded with them in the past week or two).  But I had frozen raspberries just begging to be used, and a pink dessert just seemed to shout “Valentine’s Day!”  So a very simple raspberry mousse was created.  And I do mean simple.  This dessert comes together with minimal effort, and the result is a bright tasting, delicious dessert.

Frozen fruits are such a great way to capture the flavours of warmer months in the depths of winter (and believe me, we’re in the depths of winter here).  They retain much of their nutritional benefit and are a fraction of the cost of imported fresh fruit.  The bonus is that often there is an organic option.  If you’re using them in a sauce, pudding or baked goods, they’re brilliant, as their texture is irrelevant.

If you’re concerned about the fat in this, think of it as a great source of calcium instead.  😉

Raspberry Mousse

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup heavy cream

If using frozen berries, thaw them in a colander over the bowl you’re going to use. Puree them in a blender or food processor. Strain and discard seeds. Transfer puree to a large bowl. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.

In a small pot sprinkle the gelatin over cold water; let stand for about a minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir into the raspberry mixture. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

Transfer gelatin mixture to a large bowl. Set aside about a tablespoon of the mixture for swirling if desired. Beat on high speed until it gets foamy. Gradually add the cream; beating until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon into dessert dishes. If you want, dot the tops with the little bit of reserved raspberry mixture, swirling through with a toothpick. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

I made 4 of them, but those are pretty generous portions.  You could get away with this serving 8 people, especially if you have cookies to go with.

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