 In the summer it’s just too hot in the kitchen at dinnertime to linger. In fact, the best thing is a light dessert made on the stove top well in advance… then chilled until I’m good and ready to eat it. This Tart Lemon Mousse with Berry Sauce was perfect. It’s light and airy… the tartness is balanced by the berry sauce… and the whipped cream? Well… what’s dessert without some whipped cream?Note… this recipe uses whipped egg whites that are not cooked. The airy meringue makes the lemon mousse as light as..well, air…. But… some of you may be concerned about the dangers of raw egg. I realize, we can’t all raise our own chickens, and the farmer’s market may not have eggs… so … you can change the recipe a bit by doubling the amount of Heavy Cream.
You will need to allow time for the Lemon Base to cool… so allow a few hours, or make the lemon base the day before. Serve in crystal wine glasses… or in plastic bowls…. Up to you. Makes 1 to 6 servings…. Tart Lemon Mousse with Berry Sauce RecipeLemon Mousse 2 Tbl. Fresh Lemon Zest 3 Egg Yolks ½ cup Lemon Juice 1 cup Sugar (divided) 3 Egg Whites ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar ½ cup Heavy Cream
Berry Sauce- 1to 2 cups of Berries (I use frozen in the winter) 2-3 TBL Granulated Sugar ¼ cup Water
Whipped Cream -Make your own (best), or use the stuff from a spray can (will do in a pinch)….
Instructions-Get out a medium saucepan… put in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and ½ of the Sugar. Set on the stove and cook over medium-low heat… stir stir stir (do not go answer the phone or check the laundry… keep stirring!). Eventually, it will all come together and finally, it will thicken. You don’t want to let it boil (and don’t think you can cheat the system by turning up the heat…won’t work). When the lemon base is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon so that when you draw a line across it with your finger and it stays…. STOP! Pour into a bowl, and set in the refrigerator until cool (yes, overnight is fine… cover with plastic wrap). When it’s cool… Whip up the Egg Whites (I use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will do it… and those of you looking for exercise can use a whisk) with the Cream of Tartar until you have firm peaks (lift the beater… the egg white will stay up in a peak). Add ½ cup Sugar… whip in. Set aside. Whip the Cream until you have soft peaks (kind of like hard peaks, but rounder) If you don’t want to use egg white, double the cream, and add sugar to it. Some Assembly Required Take the Lemon Base out of the Fridge…. Whip it up a bit to loosen it. Get out a medium bowl…scoop in the lemon base… now fold in the meringue (egg whites), then fold in the Whipped Cream. You don’t want to beat it, you just want to get rid of the white streaks. Scoop the Mousse into individual dessert dishes, wine glasses or even a serving bowl. Serve with Berry Sauce or Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream. This is a quick and simple sauce that I use on loads of things… mousse, French toast, ice cream, a spoon… Put the berries, water and sugar in a saucepan… cook over medium to medium high heat. Stir from time to time. When it thickens a bit… done. (seriously, that’s it) Serve the Tart Lemon Mousse with a big Spoonful of Berry Sauce and a dollop of Whipped Cream.
Step by Step Instructions….for the Visually Inclined
When your finger leaves a line across the spoon, the base is thick enough
Fold the Lemon Base into the Whipped up Egg Whites
Fold the Lemony Egg Whites into the Whipped Cream… just until there are no streaks left.
For the Berry Sauce… cook berries, sugar and some cornstarch until the berries have cooked down and the mixture thickens.
Serve with or without Whipped Cream
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