Light Caramel Mousse

📝 Ingredients

• 95 g caster sugar (80 for the caramel, 15 for the egg whites)
• 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 gelatine leaves (about 4 g)
• 300 g fromage blanc, 3% fat
• 3 egg whites (about 100 g)
• 2 pinches fleur de sel (1 for the cream, 1 for serving)
• 20 g flaked almonds

🍴 Utensils

• Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Small saucepan
• Electric hand mixer
• Whisk and silicone spatula
• Mixing bowl
• 4 serving glasses

📖 Steps

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10 min. Heat the milk in the small saucepan over a low heat until it just starts to simmer, then keep it warm: cold milk would make the caramel seize instantly.
2. Put 80 g sugar in the heavy-based saucepan and melt it over a medium heat without stirring with a spoon: just swirl the pan to spread the heat. The sugar melts and then colours in 6 to 8 min.
3. As soon as the caramel turns amber, like dark honey, take it off the heat. Pour in the hot milk in three goes, keeping your arm well back, as it bubbles up and spatters a lot, then whisk until the caramel has dissolved.
4. If there are still pieces of hardened caramel, return to a low heat for 1 to 2 min, whisking until they melt. Off the heat, add the gelatine, well squeezed out between your hands, and a pinch of fleur de sel, then whisk until dissolved.
5. Leave the caramel milk to cool for 20 min at room temperature, until lukewarm to the touch. Whisk the fromage blanc in the mixing bowl until smooth, then gradually add the caramel milk, whisking to prevent lumps.
6. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, then add the remaining 15 g sugar and whisk on high speed until stiff and glossy, forming a peak on the end of the beaters.
7. Whisk a third of the egg whites into the caramel cream to loosen it, then fold in the rest with the spatula, gently lifting the mixture from the bottom up. Don't mix for too long, so you keep as many air bubbles as possible.
8. Divide the mousse between the glasses and chill for at least 4 hours, until set. Just before serving, toast the almonds in the small dry saucepan for 3 min over a medium heat, then scatter them over the mousses with a few flakes of fleur de sel.