This Valentine's Day, end your meal with a tantalizing chocolate recipe that's ready in less time than it takes to defrost frozen cheesecake. My favorite no-stress, no-fuss recipe is this velvety gianduja mousse made from nothing more than crème fraîche, whipped cream, and that oldie but goodie, Nutella. With a standing mixer, the recipe takes less than 10 minutes of active prep, and if you're Read more

My favorite kind of appetizer is one that's deceiving; a dish that's impressive and will have your guests amazed at your culinary prowess. But really, you're the only one who knows how ridiculously easy it is to make. The perfect example? This smoked salmon mousse that's a wonderful addition to a cheese plate. Upon hearing the title, one instantly envisions sophistication as smoked salmon is a Read more

I'm hosting a big seafood feast after a local parade. The menu is light and fresh with raw oysters, grilled sardines, and a seasonal pasta salad with peas and radishes. With a meal that's not too heavy or rich, it's fun to surprise guests with a decadent dessert like this chocolate-glazed hazelnut mousse cake. It's the sort of thick, insanely sinful chocolaty cake that you can only enjoy a sliver Read more

As much as I love gooey, warm, decadent, and rich desserts, sometimes, in the long cold dead of Winter, it's nice to have a cool, refreshing, and bright treat. This lemon mousse is just that — it's tart, yet sweet and incredibly smooth and creamy. It's so good, it's hard not to eat it all in one sitting. The thing to remember about mousse is that it must be made in advance, so start the day Read more

Most of the time, when I think mousse, I think foam in a can that gives my hair lots of volume. But a little while back, I found Redken Aerate 08 Bodifying Cream Mousse ($13.59) and thought, "Hmm . . . mousse in a jar? Really?" If such a wild invention were to work, it would make the product more portable (take that, TSA), rid us of the need for aerosol cans (yay!), and make application a lot Read more

There's still time to make an impressive and elegant Thanksgiving dessert. Surprise guests with a cool and light treat that doesn't involve pumpkin, but rather Thursday's other starring fruit, cranberry. This fluffy cranberry mousse takes only 20 minutes to come together. Cream cheese is combined with cranberry juice concentrate, cranberry sauce, and whipped cream to create a refreshing dish Read more