Brian's Birthday! Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

May 25, 2015

Because of the fact that Brian's Birthday falls around a holiday, Memorial Day, it feels even more important to have a yummy dessert to celebrate Brian's birthday. It turns out that he really loves mousses so he chose the following dessert. The Mochaccino Bavarian Cream is very delicious, but comes out a little more firm that what I always thought a mousse should be like. Regardless, this dessert is a must have and at only 262 calories, it's a no brainer.

Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

GTLF: Dessert p. 104

Serves 4, working time 25 min., total time 25 min. plus chilling time

Vanilla Yogurt Topping (described below)

1 C low fat 1% milk

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 large eggs

1/2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C unsweetened coca powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
12 chocolate covered coffee beans (optional)

Yogurt Topping

8 oz. vanilla low fat yogurt

1. Set a paper lined coffee filter, or a sieve lined with 2 layers of paper towels or dampened cheesecloth, over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the prepared utensil.

2. Cover the yogurt with a small plate or a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours, depending on the desired thickness. Discard the whey.

GTLF explains that draining the whey from yogurt makes a thick, tangy substitute for whipped topping. After 3 hours it's about as thick as sour cream. After 6 hours it's about as thick as cream cheese.

Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

1. Place 1/4 C of the milk in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over, and let stand until softened, about 4 min.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 C milk, the eggs, sugar, cocoa, and espresso powder. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking, until the custard is slightly thickened, about 5 min. Add the softened gelatin and cook, whisking, until the gelatin is dissolved, about 2 min. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Fold the plain yogurt and sour cream into the custard mixture. Spoon the mixture into 4 dessert bowls or glasses and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours. Top with a dollop of the yogurt topping, sprinkle with the coffee beans, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 6 g fat, 262 calories, 2.8g sat. fat, 42 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein, 116 mg cholesterol, 132 mg sodium

TIPS:

1. The big tip here is the dessert bowls. Use one that is about 6 oz. I used a 16 oz stemless wine glass that made the dessert appear to be really wimpy as far as serving size is concerned. Remember, a lot about diet and portion control is making your mind believe you have eaten enough. This dessert is more than filling for the portion, but being in the giant wine glass made it less enjoyable because it seemed so small.