One of my all-time favourite desserts is lemon curd. It is tart, a little sweet, refreshing and delicious. The dish that we are going to look at today is lemon curd that has been lightened in both flavour and texture by the addition of whipped egg whites. The egg whites give the lemon curd an incredible airiness that is sure to please. It's like having both the lemon and meringue in one homogenized spoonful. If you like lemon curd as much as I do then you are going to love this. Let's take a look.
This is how to make...
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Making lemon curd
As I said in the intro, this lemon mousse is made by first making lemon curd, then folding whipped egg whites into it. So, the obvious first step is to make the lemon curd. To do that start with 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest, ⅓ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup sugar, 2 egg yolks (the whites reserved), and ¼ cup of butter cut into small pieces. Put all of these ingredients into a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot on the stove on medium heat. Slowly whisk the mixture until it thickens. This will take between 8-12 minutes. Once the lemon curd has thickened, scrape it into a large metal bowl using a spatula. Set the lemon curd aside to cool slightly.
Making the mousse
With the lemon curd made and cooling the time has come to whip the egg whites. Make sure the bowl is very clean. It helps to wipe the side of the bowl down with a little vinegar or lemon juice as any grease on the sides of the bowl will prevent the egg whites from gaining the proper volume.
To start, turn the mixer onto a medium-low setting. Continue at this speed for 2-4 minutes or until the egg whites start to foam. At this point, you have the option of adding in 2 tablespoon of sugar. I left it out because I prefer my lemon curd and mousse to be fairly tart. If you like it a little sweeter, add 2 tablespoon of regular sugar into the egg whites now, then turn the speed up to high. If you aren't going to add extra sugar it is still time to turn the mixer up to high. Beat the egg whites on high until they form stiff peaks. That means if you dip a spoon into the egg whites and pull it out, any eggwhites still on the spoon will hold their form.
Lemon Curd meet Whipped Egg Whites
Once the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks they can be added into the lemon curd. The best way to do this is to divide the egg whites into thirds (approximately) and add them one third at a time. The first portion of egg whites can be mixed in to loosen the mixture. The second and third portions should be folded in so that they maintain their volume. Once the final portion of egg whites has been fully incorporated into the lemon curd the mousse is ready and can be portioned into ramekins, wrapped with plastic and put in the fridge for a minimum of two hours.
Serving the lemon mousse
I really love lemon and raspberries together. They not only look great together but they also taste great. So, I like to serve this lemon mousse with a few raspberries. Garnish the dish with a sprig of mint for a pop of green and you have a beautiful dessert that anyone would be happy to eat.
Conclusion
This is one of my favourite light desserts, and I truly hope you love it too. Enjoy!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this dish in the comments. Leave your comments below.
Ingredients
- 2 lg Eggs Separated
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¼ cup butter
Instructions
- In a medium pot combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and butter.
- Put the pot over medium heat and cook whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. About 10 minutes.
- Using a spatula remove the lemon curd from the pot and into a medium-sized metal bowl.
- In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the lemon curd one third at a time.
- Divide the lemon mousse among 6 dishes and chill for two hours.
- Serve with fresh raspberries.
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