Guava Mousse

If you’ve ever had fresh guava, you know that perfume-like sweetness that hits you before you even take a bite. This mousse captures all of it in a frozen, cloud-light dessert that needs just four ingredients.

The technique here is old-school clever. You chill evaporated milk in the freezer until it’s ice cold, then whip it in a chilled bowl until thick. It puffs up like whipped cream but with a slightly richer, more caramelized flavor. That’s your mousse base.

The guava puree is made fresh: halve the guavas, scoop out the pulp, and push it through a colander to strain out the seeds. Mix in sugar (or honey) and a tablespoon of lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. The lemon brightens the guava and keeps the color vibrant.

Fold the whipped milk into the guava mixture gently. You want to keep all that air you whipped in. Pour into freezer trays and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

Chef Tips

• The evaporated milk must be extremely cold to whip properly. Give it at least 30 minutes in the freezer, and chill the bowl too
• Fold, don’t stir. Use a spatula and cut through the center, scoop under, fold over. This keeps the mousse airy
• Ripe guavas with deep pink flesh give the best color and sweetest flavor
• Let the mousse sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving so it softens to a scoopable texture

Variations

• Use canned guava paste dissolved in a little warm water if fresh guavas aren’t available
• Swap guava for mango puree for a mango mousse version
• Layer the mousse in glasses with crushed graham crackers for a parfait-style presentation