'StrawBarry' Marshmallow Mousse for Food 'N Flix August: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

This month's Food 'N Flix is a double feature of the animated movies Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and/or Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. Selected by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, there is plenty of food in both of these films--if you don't mind it falling from the sky or running around chasing you. 

Having seen the first film when it came out, I was going to view it again and then watch the second film, but time got away from me as usual and I was just able to squeeze in CWACOM Part 2. In this one, Flint Lockwood and his friends are back to Swallow Falls, where the foodimals generated by Flint's invention have taken over the island and Flint has to find his FLDSMDFR and stop the hybrids from taking over the world. 

The many foodimals were fun and at first I was going to make some Tacodiles--the somewhat scary taco-crocodile hybrids, but I changed my mind and decided to do a dish in tribute to one of my favorite foodimals--Barry, the cute strawberry with the big eyes that Flint's girlfriend, Sam Sparks, befriends and names. I was thinking something pudding or mousse like and when I went online looking for recipes, I came across a Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse on BBC GoodFood. Perfect as Flint finds and is later rescued by a large family of marshmallows. So, in honor of Barry and the marshmallows, we have a sweet, fluffy (and pretty cannibalistic I guess) 'StrawBarry' Marshmallow Mousse ;-) 
 

'StrawBarry' Marshmallow Mousse
BBC GoodFood.com (from GoodFood readers Gemma Newman & Ruth Allott) 
(Serves 4) 

250 mg (8-ish oz) fresh strawberries, halved
25g (1 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
140 mg (5 oz) mini marshmallows
200 ml (6.78 oz) heavy cream

Put all but 2 of the strawberries into a pan along with 7 tbs water and the sugar. Over a medium heat, cook the strawberries until soft enough to mash, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and squash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy. Add the marshmallows, then stir them into the hot strawberries until they dissolve. Leave to cool.  

Whip the cream until it holds it's shape. Fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix, then spoon into one bowl or separate pots and chill for about 2 hours or until set. Cut the reserved strawberries in half to decorate.

Notes/Results: I thought this mousse might be cloyingly sweet with the marshmallows but, although it is sweet, it is light and fluffy with a pleasant strawberry and cream flavor. You taste the strawberries at the start and then the marshmallow flavor and texture comes through at the end. I would recommend 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup servings depending on the size of your cups/ramekins. This recipe goes together quickly and then it is just a point of waiting for it to set up. I found that the 2 1/2 hours I gave my mousse to set up before taking the pictures wasn't quite enough and that they were better after about 4 hours, or even overnight. This recipe would be a kid-pleaser for sure. I would make it again.

Thanks to Camilla for a fun movie pick! Submissions for this Food 'N Flix round are due August 29th. If you missed this month and like food, movies, and foodie movies, join us for September. We will be viewing the classic Funny Girl starring Barbara Streisand, hosted by Caroline of Caroline Makes.