Drop of Disney

The latest chapter in the Toy Story film franchise is releasing today! I grew up watching the Toy Story movies and because I was the same age that Andy was in the movies, I’ve always felt a special connection as the experiences he was having were very similar to what I was experiencing in my life. I liked how Toy Story 3 wrapped up Andy’s story and since it felt like a nice conclusion, I’m both nervous and excited to see how Toy Story 4 continues the story.

To celebrate the release, I’ve created these super fun and delicious mousse balls inspired by the iconic Luxo Ball! These fluffy white chocolate mousse domes sit atop a layer of rich chocolate brownie and are topped with a bright yellow candy shell, a red fondant star, and a blue fondant stripe.

I love chocolate, but with a rich brownie base, I wanted something a bit lighter for the mousse and so I decided on a white chocolate mousse with a hidden raspberry surprise. White chocolate and raspberry are one my favorite flavor combinations and I liked how the small bite of tart raspberry cuts the sweetness of the mousse and brownie.

I’ve had some struggles with white chocolate mousse in the past as it’s a lot harder to stabilize than regular chocolate mousse. Oftentimes, bakers will add a bit of cream cheese, eggs, or gelatin to stabilize the white chocolate before mixing it into the whipped cream. For this mousse, I used a mixture of eggs and gelatin powder and was happy with how it set. Since it does set in the freezer, the resulting mousse was fluffy and tasty but also firm enough to hold the dome shape.

To create the candy shells, I piped melted yellow candy melts into 6 half sphere silicone molds. It is a little challenging to get the candy to cover the molds in an even layer but if you rotate the molds and use a small rubber spatula to help spread the candy melts, it is doable. Make sure to place the molds into the refrigerator to set for 10-15 minutes before trying to pop them out.

To make the fondant decorations, I dyed small amounts of white fondant red and blue. For the stars, I traced a star cookie cutter and then resized it and printed out a star that was about 1.5 inches wide. Once it was cut out, I placed it on the rolled out red fondant and used a sharp knife to cut out the stars. For the blue ribbons, I rolled out the blue fondant and then used a sharp knife to cut out medium thick strips to go around the perimeter of the brownie.

To assemble the balls, simply place the brownie rounds on a flat surface. Remove the mousse from the freezer and carefully pop them out of the molds. Place one mousse dome on top of each brownie. Then, place a candy melt shell on top of the mousse dome. Wrap a blue strip along the perimeter of the brownie round, just under where the candy shell meets the brownie. Use a dab of water to secure the fondant ends together. Dab a little bit of water onto the back of the fondant star and place on the top of the candy shell.

Once the balls are assembled, serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!

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Toy Story Mousse Balls

Celebrate the release of Toy Story 4 with these fun mousse balls inspired by the famous Luxo Ball! These fluffy white chocolate mousse domes sit atop a layer of rich chocolate brownie and are topped with a bright yellow candy shell and colorful fondant stars!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Rest Time 4 hours

Servings 6 balls

Ingredients

Brownies

• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

White Chocolate Mousse

• 5 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 ounces heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
• pinch salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 ounces heavy cream
• 6 ounces raspberries

Candy Ball Shell

• ½ bag yellow candy melts

Decoration

• white fondant
• blue gel food coloring
• red gel food coloring

Equipment

• 6 half sphere dome molds
• 1 disposable piping bag
• 2.5 inch round cookie cutter
• 1.5 inch star pattern or cutter

Instructions

Brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease an 11×7 inch rectangle pan.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder and sugar.
4. Whisk in vanilla and eggs, one as time, mixing after each addition.
5. Stir in flour and salt.
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan and cut into rounds using a 2.5 inch round cutter.

Candy Ball Shells

1. Melt candy melts in the microwave, checking every 30 seconds.
2. Pipe into the molds, creating an even layer. If needed, spread with a small rubber spatula.
3. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set.
4. Carefully pop the shells out of the molds and store in an airtight container.

White Chocolate Mousse

1. Place molds on a sheet tray and then place in the refrigerator to chill. Place 6-12 raspberries in the freezer.
2. Bloom gelatin in 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and salt together. Set aside.
4. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.
5. Add 2 ounces of cream a little at a time, stirring until the mixture becomes smooth and warm to the touch.
6. Melt the bloomed gelatin for 15 seconds in the microwave and stir it into the chocolate mixture.
7. Gradually add the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly.
8. Continue whisking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and place in the refrigerator to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
9. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, whip 6 ounces of cream on high speed until it reaches soft peaks.
10. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, briefly whisk it to recombine and fold in the whipped cream.
11. Remove molds from the refrigerator and pour the mousse into each mold, filling it to the top.
12. Place a frozen raspberry or two into the center of each mold and smooth the tops.
13. Place molds in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Fondant Decorations

1. Cut a small chunk of white fondant and dye it red using the red gel food coloring.
2. Roll out on a flat surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Using a star pattern and a sharp knife, cut out red stars and place on a piece of wax paper.
3. Cut a small chunk of white fondant and dye it blue using the blue gel food coloring.
4. Roll out on a flat surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Cut out strips long enough to go around the perimeter of the brownie and place on a piece of wax paper.

Assembly

1. Remove molds from the freezer.
2. Loosen the edges of the molds and then carefully pop out the mousse domes, placing them on a piece of wax paper.
3. Place mousse domes on top of brownies and top with candy shells.
4. Place a fondant star on the top of the candy shell, use a touch of water on the back to keep it in place. Place a fondant ribbon along the brownie, just under where the candy shell meets the brownie. Use a touch of water to seal the fondant ends together.

Recipe Notes

mousse adapted from Serious Eats