Easy Strawberry Mousse

"Oh man, this is good..." That's what I heard when I served this to my boys and their friends. This FOUR-INGREDIENT dessert is about as pure and simple as it gets, and the result is a creamy smooth, blast of fruit flavor in a cloud of whipped cream. Make-ahead friendly, incredibly versatile, and damn pretty to look at.

I think I checked all the dessert boxes, right? And imagine the fruit possibilities! You need 2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit; and that could be berries, cherries, peaches, and beyond! I'm fairly certain "apple mousse" would be horrible, but if you decide to try it, let me know.

I love the fruit puree in the bottom of the glass too. There's puree IN the whipped cream, but when you grab a little of the fruit puree from the bottom, while diving into the whipped cream on top, you get equal parts fresh fruit and fluffy cream in every bite.

And if you typically dodge recipes where you have to make fresh whipped cream (for whatever reason - which is usually fear of messing it up), don't avoid this one. You simply whip heavy cream in a mixer until stiff peaks form. No adding sugar and looking for anything spectacular. Just stiff peaks. Stand there watching the mixer run until the cream starts holding its shape. You won't make butter, I promise. Start with cold cream and the mixer does the rest (room temperature cream doesn't perform as well).

Easy Strawberry Mousse 
Note: You can make the mousse up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 cups sliced fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries, plus a few extra for garnish
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sliced strawberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Spoon 12 tablespoons of the puree into the bottom 4 dessert glasses (3 tablespoons per glass and glasses should be about 6-8 ounces each). Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the remaining puree and vanilla.
Spoon the strawberry mousse into the glasses, on top of the puree. Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4