Active Time

　　20 min

　　Total Time

　　1 3/4 hour

　　We imagine that biting into a cloud would be a lot like savoring a mouthful of this mousse, which dissolves gently into traces of coconut on the tongue. After the extravaganza of ingredients in the meal, this single-note dessert tastes so right.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

　　2 cups boiling-hot water

　　1/2 pound unsweetened dried coconut (2 3/4 cups)

　　1 (13- to 14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

　　About 1/4 cup whole milk

　　2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from two 1/4-ounce packages)

　　1/2 cup well-chilled heavy cream

　　4 large egg whites

　　Garnish: toasted sweetened flaked coconut; fresh lime zest

　　

Special Equipment

cheesecloth

　　

Step 1

Pour boiling-hot water over dried coconut in a blender, then blend, scraping down sides as necessary, until combined well, about 30 seconds (use caution when blending hot liquids). Cool in blender until cool enough to handle.

　　

Step 2

Line a large fine-mesh sieve with several layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour coconut mixture into lined sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup coconut milk in a large bowl.

　　

Step 4

Pour remaining coconut milk into a 1-cup glass measure and add enough whole milk to bring total to 1 cup, then transfer to a small saucepan.

　　

Step 5

Sprinkle gelatin over milk mixture in saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then heat over moderate heat, whisking occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved (do not let boil). Whisk into sweetened condensed milk mixture in large bowl until combined. Quick-chill by putting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until mixture is the consistency of raw egg whites, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from ice bath.

　　

Step 6

Beat cream with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks, then fold cream into coconut mixture gently but thoroughly.

　　

Step 7

Using cleaned beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, then fold into coconut mixture gently but thoroughly. Chill, covered, until set, about 1 hour.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　·Mousse can be chilled up to 1 day.

　　·The egg whites in this recipe are not cooked. If salmonella is a problem in your area, you can use reconstituted powdered egg whites such as Just Whites.