It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving has passed and we’re recovering from that annual over-indulgence of good food, good wine (if you’re over 21, that is) and good company. I like to bake and cook so my extended family’s annual Thanksgiving potluck is the perfect time for me to try new recipes.
This year, I was in charge of dessert. I wanted to make something different than the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies (though I baked a couple of those as well). But what? Nothing I came across was interesting enough, but when I came across a recipe for “Pomegranate and White Chocolate Mousse Pie” on Sugarcrafter, a food blog, I was intrigued. Pomegranates and white chocolate isn’t a very common combination — in fact, I’d never even thought of it before.
The recipe calls for six main ingredients: pomegranate juice, unflavored gelatin, white chocolate, sugar and whipping cream. Simple enough. For the crust, I just bought a ready-made graham cracker crust, which simplified it even more. To make your own, just crush graham crackers and mix them with a bit of melted butter, press into a pan to form a crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until set.
I garnished the pie with a bit of extra whipped cream and pomegranate arils from my pomegranate tree. You can buy the arils at a specialty food store (but I saw them at Costco once) or just do without them.
The only thing that would be difficult in this entire process is whipping the cream. I have a stand mixer, which does all the work for me, but if you don’t have any sort of electric mixer, whipped cream is an arduous labor of love. You must whisk the cream at a fast pace until it begins to solidify, but that takes a while. I have definitely built up my arm muscles when I’ve made my own whipped cream in the past!
Whenever I told a family member or friend what I was serving, their eyebrows shot up. Pomegranates? White Chocolate? What an … odd combination. But once I cut them a slice and they took a bite, they were sold.
The mousse is light and airy, thanks to the whipped cream.
The pomegranate juice is tangy and fruity, but the sugar and white chocolate balance it out with just the right amount of sweetness. The graham cracker crust offsets the filling nicely, adding crunch to the pie. It helps that the mousse is a lovely purple-pink that looks beautiful when garnished with a bit of whipped cream. It definitely stands out among the pumpkin pies and the cheesecakes that dominate my family’s dessert table.
Overall, this is a simple dessert to make. It is refreshing after a heavy dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and all the usual Thanksgiving and Christmas fare. It is sweet and just the bit tangy, and it is easy to make! Besides that, all of the ingredients are a fairly reasonable price, with the pomegranate juice the only slightly expensive component. If you are willing to spend a bit for the juice, I would recommend you do, as it is well worth the money.
The original recipe can be found at Sugarcrafter.net under “Pomegranate White Chocolate Mousse Pie.”
1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbs pomegranate juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 ounces white chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 pie crusts (graham cracker)
Extra whipped cream and pomegranate arils (for garnish)
Mix 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice with the gelatin to let soften.
Bring the rest of the pomegranate juice to a boil, then pour in the gelatin. Stir to dissolve and let cool.
Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Pour in the white chocolate and sugar and beat until combined. Pour the cooled pomegranate mixture into the whipped cream and combine. It will be soupy so do not fear!
Pour the filling into the crusts (you should have enough for two). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
Garnish as needed.
Note: You’ll want to keep the pie as cool as possible.