Velvet Cheesecake Pillows with Mirror Glaze Shell

 

Ingredients

For the Velvet Cheesecake Mousse:

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1.5 tsp powdered gelatin

2 tbsp cold water

For the Raspberry Velvet Core:

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp powdered gelatin

1 tbsp cold water

For the Glossy Mirror Glaze Shell:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup canned condensed milk

1 cup white chocolate chips

2.5 tsp powdered gelatin

3 tbsp cold water

3 drops deep red gel food coloring

For Garnish:

1 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder

Directions

Prepare the raspberry velvet core first. Bloom 1 teaspoon

of gelatin in 1 tablespoon of cold water for 5 minutes. In

a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the

raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook for

5 minutes until the berries completely break down. Press

the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the

seeds, then stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm puree

until dissolved. Pour into small hemisphere silicone

insert molds and freeze for 2 hours until solid.

For the cheesecake mousse, bloom 1.5 teaspoons of

gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes, then

melt it in the microwave for 10 seconds. In a large bowl,

beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and

vanilla bean paste until completely smooth. In a separate

bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks, then

gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Quickly and

thoroughly fold in the melted gelatin.

Pipe the cheesecake mousse into pillow-shaped silicone

molds, filling them halfway. Press a frozen raspberry

core insert into the center of each mold, then cover

completely with the remaining cheesecake cream.

Smooth the bases flat with an offset spatula and freeze

for at least 6 hours until frozen rock solid.

For the glossy mirror glaze shell, bloom 2.5 teaspoons of

gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water. In a small

saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and condensed milk to

a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, stir in

the bloomed gelatin until dissolved, and pour the hot

liquid over the white chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 minute,

add the red gel food coloring, and blend with an

immersion blender until completely smooth and glossy.

Strain through a fine sieve and cool to 90°F (32°C).

Unmold the frozen pillow desserts and set them on a wire

rack placed over a clean baking sheet. Pour the warm

mirror glaze smoothly over the frozen pillows in a

continuous motion to ensure the rounded edges and flat

sides are perfectly covered. Let the excess glaze drip for

3 minutes.

Use a small offset spatula to carefully transfer the glossy

pillows to a serving platter. Garnish the top surface of

each pillow with a delicate diagonal dust of freeze-dried

raspberry powder. Place in the refrigerator to thaw for 1.5

hours before serving.