Goat Cheese Mousse with Cloudberry Compote

Looking for that little something after your main course, but don't feel like baking or making an elaborate dessert? Well, then this simple goat cheese mousse is for you :) It's served from small dessert glasses or espresso cups, and the combination of tangy goat cheese mousse and sweet Nordic berries is a winner.

The original recipe from a Finnish food magazine MAKU makes a compote out of cloudberries. I must confess that I cheated and simply took another glass of home-made cloudberry compote from the larder and used that.

If you cannot get fresh cloudberries (or don't have any cloudberry compote in your fridge), you've got two options:
A) use a cloudberry jam (like the one from IKEA), and dilute it with some cloudberry liqueur (Lapponia from Finland makes a good one)
B) use a berry with similar characteristics - I'd probably go for raspberries, which are slightly softer, but have a lovely sweet-sharp flavour that would complement the goat cheese mousse nicely.

Goat Cheese Mousse with Cloudberry Compote
(Õhuline kitsejuustuvaht murakamoosiga)
Serves 6

Goat cheese mousse:
2 gelatine leaves
150 g soft and creamy goat cheese (f. ex. Chavroux)
75 ml (5 Tbsp) caster sugar
150 ml plain yoghurt
1 egg white
50 ml (3,5 Tbsp) milk

Cloudberry compote:
100 g fresh or frozen cloudberries
30 ml (2 Tbsp) caster sugar
1-2 tsp cloudberry liqueur

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes.
Mix the goat cheese with 3-4 Tbsp of sugar, then add the yoghurt and stir until combined.
Whisk the egg white in a separate bowl until light and airy. Add the rest of the sugar and continue whisking, until you've got a fluffy and glossy meringue foam.
Heat the milk in a small bowl. Drain the soaked gelatine leaves and squeeze slightly, then mix with the hot milk, until dissolved.
Now pour the gelatine mixture into the goat cheese and yoghurt mixture, stirring continuously.
Finally fold gently in the whisked egg white mixture (add about 1/3 first, stirring, to soften the mixture, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg white).
Pour the mixture into small ramekins, espresso cups or dessert glasses. Cover and place in a fridge for at least 2 hours to set.

To make the cloudberry compote, place the sugar and berries in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat, then simmer for 5 minutes, until berries are softened. Remove from the heat and cool to the room temperature. The add the cloudberry liqueur.

To serve, top each portion of goat cheese mousse with a generous dollop of cloudberry liqueur.

Enjoy!