A Berry Good Dessert...

Have I told you how much I love my family? Well, if you were unaware I love them beyond distraction. Our family is loud, full of energy and passionate about life and I like it like that. When my niece Riley was little, she too was a bundle of endless energy. When I would come to visit we would make cupcakes together. We started cooking together when Riley was about 3 and those memories are some of my favorites. My perfect little strawberry blond niece would get so excited when I would let her crack the eggs, pour the milk and run the stand mixer. Riley continues to be a kitchen superstar and helps her Mom cook on a regular basis. This recipe was made by Andrea and Riley. Riley said that is was "amazing", "yummy", "fun" and "awesome".  That is a pretty good endorsement! 

Riley working her kitchen magic on the whipped cream.

Riley's Berry Delicious Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut in quartered.
• 1 large package or 2 small packages sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin or Jello
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, whipped just beyond soft peaks
• whipped topping, for garnish (we used strawberry cool whip)
• whole fresh strawberries, for garnish

Directions:

• In a large bowl, use a fork or potato masher to crush the strawberries. Drain the juice into a bowl and set aside.
•  Add enough water to the reserved strawberry juice to make 1 ½ cups liquid in total.
•  Place the strawberry juice and water mixture on the stove top in a medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and remove from the heat. 
• Add your strawberry flavored gelatin or jello to your sauce pan. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool your mixture in the refrigerator about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow it to jell. When gelatin mixture is cool, add crushed strawberries and sugar. 
• Next you will gently fold your whipped cream into strawberry mixture.
•  Pour mixture into individual serving glasses. Chill until mousse is set. Place a dollop of your favorite whipped topping on top, along with a fresh strawberry. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!