Brazilian Passion Fruit Mousse

A friend of mine grows passion fruit along the fenceline of his urban orchard. It is a lovely setup,  the passion fruit vine always looks thrilled, and it thanks him with tons of tart seedy passionfruit.  They start green and smooth and delicious-looking, but don't develop much sweetness until after turning purple and shriveling a little so the peel looks a bit wrinkled. Every time I visit I check the ground along the fence for stray purple gifts.  They are mostly still green this year but starting to ripen a few at a time. Last year I filled my pockets with them, and after stirring them into yogurt until the yogurt ran out I found this recipe. It is delicious, and easy to sweeten to taste.  After making this luscious mousse I took the removed seeds and planted a few on the kitchen counter. The healthiest plant went outside this year, and it is still only a foot tall but I have high hopes for next year, and while watering it this morning I remembered this recipe for you guys, it has a lovely tropical flavor and is so extremely freaking easy. I modify it a little, but it is a common recipe and there are a few different versions out there. It is below the pictures. Enjoy :)

Brazilian Mousse de Maracuja

10 ripe passion fruit (or one package frozen passion fruit pulp/concentrate, *not* juice)
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can media crema/table cream *or* 3/4 cup cream or milk
one lime

Cut open the passion fruit and work through the pulp with your fingers over a wire mesh strainer to separate the seeds from the pulp.  (plant the seeds! they don't keep well, best to plant from fresh fruit. Or crunch on them for the texture, or...maybe grind and mix with cream cheese and spread on crackers? do whatchu like)

To a large bowl add the crema, then the sweetened condensed milk, then use the sweetened condensed milk can to measure out 14oz passion fruit pulp. If you have extra then set it aside for now, and if you don't have enough we'll fix it in a minute...

Blend this luscious mix hard with a hand mixer or standing mixer, or you can even do it in a blender. It should increase quite a bit in volume. Taste it :) If you want it stronger now is your only chance to add more passion fruit pulp. If you are out of pulp and it is too sweet then squeeze in some lime juice. I love the flavor of lime in there and sometimes just squeeze some juice on top before eating it, but some people hate it, so, you know, to taste. some people add a tablespoon of sugar but I like it kind of tart. Blend it again to fully mix the flavors, then when it is kind of fluffy and airy stick it in the fridge to chill for 1-6 hrs. Also you can freeze it.

its nice served with mango or pineapple, or little sprigs of mint. Its nice with passionflower tea to relax for the evening. Its nice frozen in individual ramekins in the summer so it stays cold while you eat it. its nice licked off the spoon and out of the bowl while someone else drives, if you are driving. are you getting this? its nice.