Lemon Mousse
Servings
6 Servings
Ingredients
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 4 eggs separated*
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (9 oz) divided
Instructions
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and 6 tablespoons (3 oz) sugar in a large microwave safe bowl. Whisk until smooth. Cook in the microwave for one minute. Remove the bowl from the microwave and whisk well. Cook for another minute and whisk again. Cook for 30 seconds and whisk again. Keep cooking in 30 second intervals, whisking between each one, until the curd thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the curd through the strainer into the medium bowl and use a spatula to force as much of the curd through the strainer as possible. Let curd cool to room temperature.
- Place the egg whites and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in bowl of mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir continuously until the whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved. Using the whisk attachment beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Place 1/4 of the egg whites into the bowl with the lemon curd and stir to combine. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour the mousse into serving cups and chill until cold. (It can also be frozen and eaten like ice cream)
- *the egg whites are not cooked in this recipe. If that is a concern use pasteurized egg whites instead and use the leftover unpasteurized ones for a recipe where they are cooked.
Can this be made the day before?
Yes
Easy to make looks delicious
If you are concerned about eating uncooked egg white, instead of buying pasteurized egg whites (expensive and not great) you can do a variation of this recipe: Make the lemon/yolk mixture as directed. Beat the egg whites as directed, but then makeand bake them into meringue shells (check any recipe for the technique). Serve the meringue shells filled with the lemon custard. Not the same as the mousse, but a great dessert!
Is the beating of the egg whites supposed to be done with the bowl still over the pan of simmering water? This isn’t clear from the way the recipe is written. I had to do it twice, once taking the pan off and the other time leaving it on, to get the stiff peaks to form (and wasted a dozen extra eggs in the process, since I was tripling the recipe!).
The curd can also be made in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (like a double boiler). Stir constantly while cooking to make sure the eggs do not scramble.
I don’t have a microwave – is there another way I can make this??
It makes 4 servings, 4-6 ounces each.
How many serving cups will this recipe make?
Fran