I’m so excited to share this labneh mousse recipe with you!
If you’ve ever lived in the Middle East, Labneh and Sumac will definitely be two very familiar flavors for you. Very quintessentially Arab, these flavors are widely found all over the Gulf.
I was born and brought up in Saudi Arabia, so both Labneh and Sumac have always been a part of my food. Labneh, especially, has always been a loved ingredient in the household.
If you don’t know what these flavors are, well…I’m about to change your life.
So, what’s labneh?
Labneh is a soft, creamy ‘strained yogurt’ that’s almost in between cream and cheese. The texture of Labneh resembles that of Greek yogurt, and the flavor has a kick of salt in it. Labneh is used in Middle Eastern food very diversely – for breakfast, in sandwiches, in salads, as a condiment, and also in desserts. It’s as versatile as an ingredient can get.
Because of how famous Labneh has gotten recently, it’s become easily available throughout the world. But if you’re not able to find it around you, you can also easily make it at home with some yogurt.
Here’s a recipe for homemade labneh
The story of sumac
Sumac is a very popular spice in the Middle East. It originates mainly from Africa and has an acidic and fruity flavor. It’s unique and unlike any other spice out there. It’s made from the berries of the wild sumac plant, which is where it gets its fruitiness from.
If you live in the Middle East, you can find sumac in any and every grocery store. But it might be tricky to track down in other countries. If your city has a Middle Eastern store (which I’m certain it will), you will likely be able to find it there.
If you haven’t tried sumac before, I would highly recommend you to do it! It’s the perfect addition to many dishes – I’ve used it in eggs, beans, in a spice rub for a chicken, and now in a dessert. It’s really one of the best spices out there.
Here’s an interesting article about sumac if you wanna learn more about it
If you’re wondering why I decided to combine these seemingly unmatched flavors, here’s the story →
A few months back, I was watching a masterclass episode by one of my favorite chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi. In his brunch spread, he created this Labneh and berry dish which really intrigued me. The flavors seemed so different, yet I knew if YO was using them, they HAD to work.
I loved how he was highlighting these Middle Eastern flavors that I’ve known and loved since childhood, but are not so known to the world. I instantly knew I had to create a dessert using these flavors.
So here’s my rendition of Yotam Ottolenghi’s dish – Labneh mousse with a sumac berry puree
I know this dessert sounds different and something that you might be unfamiliar with, but trust me, you have to give it a try.
PS: I’ve used a fancy round silicon mold for making this dessert but you can easily make it in literally any dish or bowl. I will leave the assembly directions below for both methods.
PPS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups, however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
PPPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Labneh Mousse with Sumac Berries
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- Hand whisk
- 1 silicon spatula
- Blender
- Round silicon mold or any glass serving dish* (read notes)
Ingredients
Labneh Mousse
- 5 grams gelatin
- 25 ml ice-cold water
- 104 ml full-fat milk
- 104 grams white chocolate chips
- 150 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
- 150 grams full-fat labneh (store-bought or homemade)
Sumac Berries
- 200 grams mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
- 40 grams sugar
- 10 ml lime juice
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 10 grams sumac powder
- 100 grams mixed berries (extra)
Crumble
- 50 grams brown sugar
- 25 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- Pinch of salt
- 25 grams rolled oats
Instructions
Labneh Mousse
- First, bloom your gelatin by adding ice-cold water* (25 ml) in a bowl and sprinkling the gelatin powder (5 gms) on it. Give it a quick mix and let the gelatin mix set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes
- In a heat-proof bowl, add the chocolate chips (104 gms)
- Heat the milk (104 ml) in a saucepan over medium heat until it almost starts boiling*
- Pour the hot milk over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 30 seconds to allow the chocolate to melt
- Once the chocolate has melted, use an electric hand blender to combine the cream and chocolate to create a smooth ganache. You can also use a hand whisk to combine them if you don’t have an electric hand blender, however, your mixture won’t be as smooth.
- While the ganache is still warm*, add the bloomed gelatin prepared in step 1 and blend/whisk the mix again until the gelatin has dissolved. Set the ganache aside to cool
- In another bowl, whisk the liquid whipping cream (150 ml) to soft peaks*
- Add the labneh (150 gms) into the cream and whip until it reaches semi stiff peaks*
- Once your ganache has cooled down to room temperature (32-35 degree Celsius), gradually pour it into the whipped cream and labneh mix while slowly mixing with a silicon spatula. Do this step slowly. If you mix too quickly and vigorously, the mousse will lose all it’s airy-ness. Make sure you are gradually pouring the chocolate ganache in so that it’s easier to combine into the whipped cream
- If using a round silicon mold: Pour the prepared mousse in each individual round mold and keep it in the freezer for about one hour or until the mousse has slightly set. Then, take it out of the freezer and scoop out a cavity in the center of the mousse with a teaspoon. Make sure to do this while the mousse is still slightly soft. Once it’s set, it will be very difficult to scoop it out. You will fill the berry puree in this cavity while serving. Let the mousse set for 6-8 hours or overnight in the freezer
- If using a glass dish: Pour the prepared mousse in your chosen dish and let it set it in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight. If you want to set it quickly, you can place the dish in the freezer for 2-3 hours and refrigerate it at least an hour before serving to soften it
Sumac Berries
- In a blender, add the first batch of the mixed berries (200 gms), sugar (40 gms), lime juice (10 ml), lime zest (1 tsp), and sumac (10 gms) and blend it until you have a smooth puree. You might need more sugar depending on how sweet the berries you are using are. Give it a taste and adjust the sugar amount accordingly
- Cut the remaining mixed berries (100 gms) in small pieces and add them into the puree (don’t blend them in, let them stay whole). Refrigerate the berry mix until you are ready to serve
Crumble
- Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius
- Combine all the dry ingredients except for oats: brown sugar (50 gms), flour (25 gms), cinnamon (1 tsp), and salt (pinch) in a bowl with hand whisk
- Add the softened butter into the dry ingredient mix and rub it together with a fork or with your fingers until you have a chunky crumble
- Mix in the oats (25 gms) until well combined
- Bake the crumble for 15 minutes or until golden-brown. Make sure to rotate the pan while baking and give the crumble a quick mix with a fork so that it browns evenly
Assembly
- If using a round silicone mold: Take the silicone mold out of the freezer and immediately unmold the mousse to make sure they come out easily and don’t lose their shape. Let the mousse soften for an hour in the refrigerator before serving. When ready to serve, add a little crumble in the center cavity, then fill the rest with the berry puree. If you want to make it look a little more fancy, you can pipe some whipped cream on top to complete the look
- If using a glass dish: When you are ready to serve, add a layer of the berry puree on top of the set mousse, and sprinkle the crumble on top generously
Notes
Make ahead:
You can make and freeze the mousse up to 2 days before, just make sure to place it in the fridge a few hours before servingStorage:
This mousse can last 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly (the dish must be covered)Tips & tricks:
- Glass dish: If you are using a glass serving dish to assemble the mousse, you might have to increase the recipe based on the size. The current measurements would be good for a regular square-sized dish. For a bigger dish, I would recommend doubling the recipe
- Ice-cold water for gelatin: make sure you always use ice-cold water for gelatin because it only blooms in cold water. Using warm or room temperature water will not bloom your gelatin, and gelatin does not work until it’s bloomed properly
- Soft/semi-stiff peaks: These terms are used to describe how much whipping is required for the cream. Soft peaks refer to a softly whipped cream, where the cream has thickened slightly but when you pick up your whisk from the cream, it falls flat and does not create any peaks. Semi-stiff peaks refer to a medium whipped cream, where when you pick your whisk up from the cream, it creates semi-stiff peaks
Don’t be intimidated by the length of this recipe, it’s actually really simple! Each component is very basic on its own but gives you a show-stopper of a dessert. Whether you make it in a fancy silicon mold or a regular dish, it’s going to wow your guests no matter what.
Secretly praying you guys to try this recipe because it’s just so good 🥲
If you do give it a try, drop a comment and let me know how you liked it. And share it with us on Instagram with #ministryofpastry.
See you next time!
