Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake (Dairy Free Variation)

 I found this recipe last year and held on to it because it sounded delicious! Over the summer I made it for a coworker's bday and made it DAIRY FREE! It was such a huge hit! When I was preparing for my youngest son's 17th bday I showed it to him and he decided he must have this for his birthday too. His doesn't need to be dairy free so I made it with dairy products, but it is incredibly easy to swap out if you need DF!   I also would like to try this with raspberries in place of strawberries! 

Crust:

32 Oreo cookies, crushed fine (I used Dark Chocolate, you could use regular, or they did at one time have Chocolate/Strawberry filled, but that one disappeared, if you can find them use them!!)

1/2 cup butter (dairy free, I used Country Crock Plant butter with Almond oil, but that has since been discontinued, I have used the avocado oil version in baked goods with great success

pinch of salt

Filling:

2.5 tsp gelatin

3 TB cold water

1- 11.5 oz bag Signature Reserve Extra Dark Chocolate Chunks (these are sold at Safeway, they worked for my dairy free friend, but they do have a warning the "May" contain milk, so if you have a severe allergy, any dairy free semi sweet or dark chocolate would work)

3 cups heavy cream , divided (Silk Dairy Free heavy cream was my replacement, I hear country crock has one now as well, but I LOVED the Silk!)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 lbs fresh strawberries

Ganache Topping:

1- 11.5 oz Signature Reserve Extra Dark Chocolate Chunks(see above for sub)

2/3 cup heavy cream (see above for sub)

Assembly:

Crust:

Place a circle of parchment paper in a 9-inch springform, combine crushed Oreos, melted butter and salt, press into pan and set aside

 

Mousse:

Combine gelatin and water, let sit for 5-10 minutes.  

Place chocolate chips in a heavy pan with 1 cup heavy cream, bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring often until the chips are melted and it is smooth and glossy. 

Remove from heat, microwave your softened gelatin for 10 seconds,  then add to chocolate and stir until dissolved.  (you can skip the microwave step if you wish, I just felt it incorporated better this way)

 Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

 

Whisk the remaining 2 cups heavy cream and powdered sugar in a mixer until stiff peaks form.

 Stir in a good scoop of the cream into the cooled chocolate, then fold in the remaining cream.

Prepare about 10 strawberries(depending on size) buy cutting off the tops and slicing them in half top to bottom, put cut strawberries around the edges of the pan

Then slice off the tops and use whole strawberries to fill in the entire pan. (you should have a few berries left for topping, dice or slice those up for your decorating style)

Gently scoop the mousse filling around the strawberries (you can pipe it in with a pastry bag if you like)

Gently tap the entire cake on the counter to fill in any air pockets, then spread over the tops creating a  flat top, refrigerate 4-6 hours

Ganache Topping:

Heat  the 2/3 cup heavy cream and  about 2 cups of the chocolate chips (reserve a small handful from the bag for some topping) on low heat, stirring often, until it is smooth and glossy. 

 Refrigerate until thickened about 20 minutes, then spread over mousse (still in the spring form)  (Sorry missed this step in pictures)

Immediately top with remaining chocolate chunks and the diced or sliced strawberries

Chill at LEAST 6 more hours

Gently insert a thin knife around the edges of the spring form to loosen it from the pan, remove spring form

Slice and serve!!!

 

Bacon Cheeseburger Scalloped Potato Rollup

 I made a Cheesy Ham and Scalloped Potato  roll up a few weeks ago and it sparked an idea of using the potato roll up elsewhere...I waited to post the ham and cheese one until I made it again since I only got some end pictures of that one, see previous post if you want to.do the Ham and Cheese Rollup !

2-3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (1/16in)

roughly 16 oz mixed cheese, shredded (I used Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella and Extra Sharp White Cheddar)

 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 lb ground beef, seasoned to taste, browned and drained

1/3 of a medium sweet onion, diced (more or less to taste)

1 medium roma tomato, diced

1 medium dill pickle, diced

1 recipe SuperPickle Secret Sauce*

Line a large baking sheet(12x16) with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray (don't skip the parchment paper, it wont roll properly with out this)

Evenly spread about half of your mixed cheese on the parchment paper, make sure it isn't spread too thin, the cheese will help hold the potatoes together.

Evenly layer the potato slices, overlapping slightly, over the cheese. 

Lightly press down with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, sprinkle with pepper and a little garlic powder

Top evenly about 2/3 of the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft and everything is bubbly and just starting to brown 

Remove from the oven.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the cooked beef, onions, tomato and pickle. Add roughly 1/2 of the secret sauce and mix gently. 

Spread evenly over the cooked potatoes, right up to the edges.  Sprinkle with bacon and remaining cheese.

Starting at the short end, gently pick up the parchment paper and begin to roll it up with firm but gentle pressure, taking care to not let toppings spill out the sides, peel away the parchment paper as you roll it. 

Place seem side down back on the parchment paper. 

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until it is bubbly and heated through. 

 Allow to set for 10-15 minutes and slice with a sharp knife.  Top with more secret sauce and serve!

*If you dont want to use Secret Sauce you can use BBQ, Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup or any combo you prefer!

Ham and Scalloped Potato Rollup

 I saw something with a potato rollup , it had a  beef and tomato sauce and the like so it really didn't sound like something my family would go for but I LOVED the concept. I decided to turn it into a cheesy ham and potato roll! 

I only got end pictures so I am posting this in conjunction with doing another version using this roll up so you can reference those photos if needed.

8 oz shredded mozzarella, divided

6 oz shredded parmesan (not green can), divided

2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin (thin enough that you can slightly see through them, about 1/16 inch)

1/4-1/3 white onion, sliced the same thickness as the potatoes

1 cup sour cream

8 oz shredded cheddar, divided

1 1/2 cups diced ham

2-3 green onions, chopped (plus one for serving)

garlic salt and pepper 

(For Rollup pictures please see Bacon Cheeseburger Rollup)

Line a large baking sheet(12x16) with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray (don't skip the parchment paper, it is difficult to roll properly with out this)

Evenly spread 6 oz oz the mozzarella and 6 oz of the parmesan cheese on the parchment paper, make sure it isn't spread too thin, the cheese will help hold the potatoes together.

Evenly layer the potato slices, overlapping slightly, over the cheese.

Lightly press down with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Top evenly with remaining mozzarella and parmesan (you can add more cheese if you like!)  and about 3/4 of your thinly sliced onions.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft and everything is bubbly and just starting to brown

Remove from the oven and immediately press down with a flat spatula to help the potatoes press together even more.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes

While it is cooling, shred 8 oz extra sharp cheddar and mix 1 1/2 cups with 1 cup sour cream. Reserve the rest of the cheddar.

When the potatoes have cooled, spread the cheddar/sour cream mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the diced ham, the rest of the sliced onions and the chopped green onions. Season more to taste.

Starting at a short end gently pick up the parchment paper and peel it away as you roll the potatoes up loosely, when it is rolled, set it seam side down back on the parchment paper. 

Top with remaining cheddar and put back in the oven for 20-30 minutes 

Allow to set for 10 minutes, slice with a sharp knife, top with more green onions and serve!