Oatmeal Lace Cookie Bowls with Maple Mousse

This is my second month participating in the Daring Bakers, a monthly baking challenge and I guess I'm not in the swing of things quite yet. I knew about the challenge, thought a lot about it and was planning on completing it this weekend because I thought it was due next week. Then I go check out the website tonight and realize that it's due: TODAY! and it's already after 8:00pm. Do I give up? No. So here is my response to the challenge to create a Maple Mousse and an edible container.


Nothing is more beautiful than the see through thin, crispy lace oatmeal cookie. If you act quickly when it comes out of the oven you can create a beautiful bowl, just perfect for housing a light airy maple mousse. I was so excited for this maple mousse too. I spent two years in Montreal, Canada and this time of year was the season of Cabane à Sucre's or Sugar Houses. A meal was prepared and everything was maple covered or infused, including the water. We always tried to get to as many events as we could and I think of them every time spring rolls around.

Oatmeal Lace Cookie Bowls with Maple Mousse
adapted from MrsFieldsSecrets

Ingredients
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed to form a grainy paste. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and blend just until combined. Drop dough by tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheets, with at least two inches between. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Let cool slightly, then peel off cookies and form around a small ramekin to from the bowl. 



Maple Mousse

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml/ 8 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup (not maple-flavoured syrup)
4 large egg yolks
1 package (7g/1 tbsp.) unflavoured gelatine
1 1/2 cups (360 ml. g/12 fluid oz) whipping cream (35% fat content)

Directions1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle).
3. Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed.
4. Measure 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatine. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a microwave for 45 seconds (microwave for 10 seconds at a time and check it in between) or place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stir to ensure the gelatine has completely dissolved.
5. Whisk the gelatine/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.
6. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour or until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white.
7. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour.
8. Remove from the fridge and divide equally among your cookie bowls. 


The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!