This light lemony dessert recipe is always a hit. Garnish with a few fresh berries and mint leaves if desired. If you prefer a totally smooth mouse, omit the lemon zest but it adds lemon flavor. Lemon mousse can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until serving.
Hand mixer with beaters or standing mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
6largeeggsseparated
½cupnatural granulated sugarOR monk fruit blend, or ½ and ½
2largelemonszested, juiced and juice strained
1 ¼cupsheavy creamwell chilled
Optional Garnishes
½cupfresh berriesor more
fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Separate the egg whites from the yolks while they are cold (it’s a little easier) and set the whites aside to come to room temperature for better volume when you whip them.
Set up a double boiler. Place a large saucepan on the stove top with a few inches of water in it. Bring the water almost to a boil and turn down to simmer. Choose a stainless steel or glass bowl that will fit on top yet partially inside the pan taking care that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the hot water.
In the bowl, whip egg yolks with a whisk until thick and pale in color, then whisk in the sugar, 4 tablespoons of strained lemon juice and the lemon zest. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan of hot water and cook yolks, whisking until it sets, thickens, and forms a thick pudding or custard, 5-6 minutes. You will know when it it ready when the curd coats the back of a spoon. You’ll be able to draw your finger through it and the line stays. Remove the bowl of lemon custard and set aside to cool. See note below for faster cooling
While curd is cooling, whip egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks with a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment or a hand mixer with beaters. Next, whip the cream in a separate bowl. When custard is cool, gently combine all three parts: custard, whipped egg whites and whipped cream. Chill until serving time. Serve in stemmed wine glasses or bowls topped with berries and garnished with mint.
Notes
If you have a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, use it to whip both the whites and cream. Do the whites first and transfer them to a clean dry bowl. Fat from the cream prevents whites from whipping stiffly. Next, whip the cream, then add the cold lemon curd into the bowl and combine on low speed. Lastly add the white back in. TO REDUCE SUGAR - use either all monk fruit blend or half sugar and half monk fruit.To cool the lemon curd quickly, set up an dice bath; a larger bowl of half ice and half cold water.