Ornament Mousse Balls Holiday (Print-Friendly Version)

Ideal for Christmas and winter celebrations, these eye-catching mousse balls combine a rich chocolate base, shiny glaze, and fun filling choices. They'll be the star of your holiday dessert table. Tap to save.

# Ingredients You’ll Need:

→ Mousse Base

01 - 1 cup heavy cream, split in half
02 - 4 ounces premium dark chocolate, broken into pieces
03 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - Tiny bit of salt

→ Optional Surprise Center

05 - 6 teaspoons jam, melted chocolate, or tiny cake chunks

→ Mirror Glaze

06 - 1/2 cup water
07 - 1/2 cup sugar
08 - 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
09 - 1 tablespoon plain gelatin
10 - 2 tablespoons cold water
11 - 4 ounces white chocolate, cut into small pieces
12 - Gel food coloring, whatever colors you like

→ Decoration

13 - Edible gold dust (if you want)
14 - Fondant, black licorice strings, or thin pretzels for hanging loops
15 - Powdered sugar for sprinkling (if you want)

# How to Make It:

01 - Put the chopped dark chocolate in a bowl that can take heat. Warm up half the heavy cream in a small pot until tiny bubbles form at the edges. Pour this warm cream on top of the chocolate and wait for a minute. Stir slowly until it's all mixed and smooth, then let it cool down completely.
02 - Grab a cold bowl and whip the other half cup of heavy cream with the vanilla and tiny bit of salt until you get stiff peaks. Take about a third of this whipped cream and mix it really well into the cooled chocolate to lighten it up. Then gently fold in what's left of the whipped cream until you can't see any streaks.
03 - Scoop the mousse into round silicone molds, filling each about a third full. Drop a teaspoon of your filling right in the middle of each. Add more mousse on top until it reaches the edge and smooth it flat with a spatula. Put the molds on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer for at least 4 hours or leave them overnight.
04 - Mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and let it sit. In a pot, mix together 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk. Heat it up slowly, stirring until all the sugar melts. Take it off the heat, add the softened gelatin and stir until it's gone, then throw in the white chocolate pieces and keep stirring until smooth.
05 - Push the glaze through a fine strainer into a bowl that works with a stick blender. Add your food coloring until you're happy with the shade. Blend for half a minute to make sure the color is even and the glaze looks shiny. Let it cool down to around 90°F before you use it.
06 - Put parchment paper on a baking sheet and a wire rack on top. Take the frozen mousse balls out of the molds and put them flat-side down on the rack. Pour the glaze over each ball, making sure they're totally covered. Let any extra glaze drip off.
07 - Move the glazed balls to serving plates using a flat spatula. Add decorations like gold-brushed fondant, licorice strings, or pretzel stick hooks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want and serve while still cold.

# Extra Suggestions:

01 - Make sure your mousse balls are frozen solid before adding the glaze, this helps get a smooth finish without marks.
02 - Stick your mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge before whipping cream, it'll whip up faster and bigger.
03 - Stick to gel or powder food colors for the glaze, liquid ones might mess up how thick it is.

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