Hojicha Mousse Japanese Dessert (Printable)

A refined, airy Japanese dessert featuring roasted hojicha tea in a delicate mousse without heavy cream.

# What You Need:

→ Hojicha Base

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha tea leaves
02 - 200 ml whole milk

→ Mousse Mixture

03 - 3 large eggs, separated
04 - 60 grams granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Stabilizer

07 - 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
08 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

09 - Toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs for garnish

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Add hojicha tea leaves, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain to remove leaves and allow infused milk to cool slightly.
02 - Sprinkle powdered gelatin over cold water in a small bowl. Let bloom for 5 minutes until fully hydrated.
03 - In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 30 grams sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly whisk in the warm hojicha milk in a steady stream.
04 - Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot hojicha mixture until completely dissolved. Mix in vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature while stirring occasionally.
06 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 30 grams sugar and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
07 - Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled hojicha mixture in three additions, carefully preserving the mousse's airy texture.
08 - Spoon the mixture into serving glasses or ramekins. Chill for at least 2 hours until fully set.
09 - Garnish with toasted hojicha tea leaves or cocoa nibs immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's made without heavy cream, so it feels refined and doesn't sit heavy after dinner, yet tastes completely indulgent.
  • The roasted tea flavor is sophisticated enough to impress but approachable enough that even skeptics of hojicha find themselves going back for another bite.
02 -
  • Never skip blooming the gelatin—I once tried to melt it directly into cold custard and ended up with tiny clumps throughout, which taught me that patience with gelatin pays off in texture.
  • Room temperature egg whites whip faster and hold more air than cold ones, which sounds small but makes the difference between mousse and scrambled eggs.
03 -
  • If your hojicha leaves smell flat or ashy rather than toasted and nutty, they've lost their life—source fresh ones from a Japanese grocer, as stale tea makes stale dessert.
  • The bain-marie (water bath) seems fussy until you realize it's insurance against scrambled eggs; keep the water at a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil.
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