Ingredients
For the Pistachio Cheesecake Mousse:
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup smooth, unsweetened 100% pistachio paste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tsp powdered gelatin
2 tbsp cold water
For the Midnight Raspberry Core:
1 cup fresh raspberries
2.5 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 drop violet gel food coloring (optional, for a deeper
hue)
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water
For the Moonlight Mirror Glaze:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 tsp powdered gelatin bloomed in 2 tbsp cold water
2 drops violet gel food coloring
1 drop pink gel food coloring
1/2 tsp edible silver luster dust
For the Pistachio Moon Dust Crust:
1/3 cup raw pistachios, shelled and finely ground
3 tbsp shortbread cookie crumbs
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Combine the fresh raspberries, granulated sugar, and
lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes until the berries completely break
down. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and optional violet
food coloring, cooking for 1 more minute until thick and
glossy. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to
remove seeds, pour into small half-sphere silicone insert
molds, and freeze for 2 hours until solid.
Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons of gelatin over 2 tablespoons of
cold water in a small cup; let bloom for 5 minutes, then
microwave for 10 seconds until completely liquefied.
In a medium bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream and
powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate large
bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese,
mascarpone cheese, and pistachio paste together until
completely smooth and vibrant green. Slowly mix the
liquid gelatin into the cheese base, then gently fold in the
whipped cream.
Spoon the pistachio cheesecake mousse into large
spherical or deep dome silicone molds, filling each cavity
halfway. Press a frozen raspberry core into the center of
each, then top with the remaining mousse, wiping the
surfaces flat. Freeze for at least 5 hours until frozen
completely solid.
Combine the finely ground pistachios, shortbread
crumbs, and melted butter in a small bowl until it
resembles wet sand. Press small, flat rounds of the
mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to act as
the bases for the orbs. Bake at 325°F for 6 minutes just
to set, then let cool completely.
To make the mirror glaze, combine the sugar, condensed
milk, and 1/3 cup of water in a saucepan over medium
heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in
the bloomed gelatin until dissolved. Pour the hot liquid
over the white chocolate chips, violet and pink food
coloring, and silver luster dust in a deep bowl. Mix with
an immersion blender until smooth and cosmic, then
strain through a sieve and let cool to 92°F.
Unmold the frozen cheesecake orbs and place them on a
wire rack set over a clean baking sheet.
Pour the cooled moonlight glaze evenly over each frozen
sphere, creating a shimmering, reflective violet coating.
Let the excess glaze drip off for 3 minutes.
Using a small spatula, carefully lift each glazed orb and
place it directly on top of a prepared pistachio shortbread
crust base on your serving platter before serving.
