MINI DESSERT SHOOTERS (RASPBERRY BROWNIE, STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE, & LEMON MERINGUE)

WHERE TO BUY THE CUPS:
http://www.partycity.com/product/mini+tasting+party.do
2.5 fl oz.

Raspberry, & Chocolate Mousse Recipe:
Yields: 10-11
Brownie Layer:
1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
1/8 cup (15g) cocoa powder
1/2 cup (55g) flour, sifted
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract
Mousse Layer:
6 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 cup (120mL) heavy cream
Raspberry layer:
12 oz. of raspberries, divided

Directions:
First start by making your brownies. Place your butter and cocoa powder in your mixer and mix on medium speed until well combined. Then add in your flour, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to your mixer. Make sure to scrape down the sides and all the way to the bottom of the bowl, as the batter will not mix thoroughly. Then continue to mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes
For the Raspberry layer, add 3/4 of your washed raspberries to a food processor or blender and blend and finely blend. Add them to a sauce pan and cook them on a low simmer for 10 minutes. Then add them to a bowl to chill. The rest of the raspberries will be used for garnish.
For the chocolate mousse, add your chocolate to your mixer. Then heat your heavy cream in a sauce pan until it comes to a simmer. Do not boil your cream. Add the simmering cream to your mixer and let sit for a few minutes. Once it's sat for a bit, take a rubber spatula and mix the chocolate and cream together until it's smooth and fully combined. Then let the mixture sit again, until it has completely cooled. This is an important step or your chocolate mixture will not whisk together and thicken up. You can add your mixing bowl to the refrigerator to speed up this process. Then whisk your mixture together for about ten minutes until it becomes the texture of whipped cream. Then dd your mousse to a piping bag, fitted with your desired tip.
Add your layers together, starting with the brownie, then raspberry, and lastly mousse. Garnished with a raspberry. Depending on your glass, you could add multiple layers if desired.

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe:
Yields 10-11
1 1/2 packages (12oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp (24g) sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 oz (50g) whipped cream (1/4 cup (60mL) of heavy cream & 1 Tbsp (13g) sugar)
About 10 vanilla wafers, finely chopped
1 lb strawberries, divided

Directions:
Prepare your whipped cream and set it aside in a bowl.
Add your cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream to your mixer. Mix on medium speed until all the ingredients are well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Then remove the bowl from the mixer and add in your whipped cream. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in your whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Once everything is well combined, add it to a piping bag fitted with any tip you like.
Then add your vanilla wafers to a food processor and finely going them up until they are the consistency of sand. Place about a teaspoon at the bottom of your cups and then pip a layer of your cheesecake mousse. Next add your strawberries and another layer of cheesecake mousse. Then garnish with a strawberry that has been cut in half and still has the stem attached for a pop of color.

Lemon Meringue Recipe:
Lemon custard:
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup (200g) sugar
2/3 cup (160mL) lemon juice, FRESH
6 Tbsp (90g) butter, cubed
zest of 1 medium lemon
About 10 vanilla wafers, finely chopped
Meringue:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/8 tsp (2.5g) cream of tartar
1/2 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract

Directions:
Custard:
To a double boiler, add in your eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice. Whisk your ingredients together for at least 15 minutes, consistently. If you don't consistently whisk the mixture, the bottom will get too hot and the eggs will cook too much and scramble in the mixture. Bring the mixture up to 170F and it has thickened up. If you don't have a candy thermometer, do not worry about it. Once the liquid has thickened up, it has reached the desired temperature.
Add your custard through a sieve to get out any lumps. Then whisk in your butter, a few cubes at a time, until all the butter has been melted into the custard. Next add in your lemon zest.
Add some plastic wrap to the bowl, making sure to push it all the way down to the custard, so a layer does not form on the custard. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or in the freezer for 1.
Then place your custard in a piping bag.
For the meringue, add in all of your ingredients to your mixer. Make sure there is no oil in the bowl of the mixer otherwise your egg whites will not come together. A trick to making sure there is no oil residue in your bowl, is to take a paper towel, and lightly dash some vinegar on to it. Wipe the bowl with the paper towel and vinegar.
Beat your ingredients for about 10-15 minutes until stiff peaks have formed from your egg whites. Once that has happened, place the meringue into a piping bag.