Cherry Blossom Recipe

Prepare cherry purée

Place the pitted cherries and 100 g granulated sugar in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherries release juices and soften, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Purée the cooked cherries in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly to extract as much liquid and discard skins/solids. You should have about 350–400 g of smooth purée.

Bloom gelatin: sprinkle the gelatin evenly over 60 ml cold water in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes until softened.

Warm 3–4 tablespoons of the hot cherry purée in a small saucepan or microwave until hot but not boiling. Add the bloomed gelatin to the warmed purée and stir until fully dissolved. Whisk this mixture back into the remaining cherry purée until homogeneous. Chill briefly (10–15 minutes) until it starts to thicken at the edges but is still pourable.

Whip cream: In a chilled bowl, whip 400 ml cold heavy cream with 25 g icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract to soft-medium peaks. Do not overwhip—should hold a gentle peak and remain silky.

Fold: Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chilled cherry purée to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream in two additions until uniform and airy. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Transfer the mousse to a piping bag or moulds and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set (longer for firmer texture).

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine 80 g flour, 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder, 50 g light brown sugar, 15 g granulated sugar and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl. Add 60 g cold diced unsalted butter and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with fingertips or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits.

Spread the crumb mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 10–14 minutes, stirring once halfway, until dry and fragrant but not burnt. Remove from oven and let cool completely; it will crisp as it cools. Break into small pieces for sprinkling.

Combine base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 400 ml whole milk, 200 ml heavy cream, 120 g granulated sugar, 20 g glucose syrup (if using), 20 g milk powder (if using), a pinch of fine sea salt and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or the scraped seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling (about 75–80°C / 167–176°F).

Cool: Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. For best texture, chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (2–4 hours or overnight).

Churn: Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions until thick and creamy (usually 20–30 minutes).

Harden: Transfer to a shallow container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm up before serving. If not serving immediately, store covered in the freezer.

Plate: Spoon or pipe a generous quenelle or disc of black cherry mousse onto each plate (for 6 servings, about 90–100 g mousse per portion).

Scoop: Add one scoop (approx. 1/2 cup / 100 g) of fior di latte ice cream next to the mousse.

Scatter: Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of chocolate crumb around and over the mousse for texture contrast.

Garnish: Top with fresh cherries or candied petals and a leaf of micro basil or mint. Dust lightly with edible dried cherry powder or sifted icing sugar for a cherry-blossom look.

Serve immediately: Keep extra ice cream in the freezer and mousse refrigerated until serving. If plated ahead of time, return to fridge and freezer respectively and bring back to serving temperature just before presenting.