Challenge Book #28 - Lemon Mousse

These are a just a few reasons why I love summer so much. I'm up to my little pink ears in sweet juicy peaches and nectarines. Not to mention the cherries, apricots and strawberries. I'm in heaven!!!!!

As far as I am concerned there is no better summer dessert - perfectly ripe sweet stone fruit or berries served just as they are. I never ever cook them because I simply cannot improve on perfection. I could cry when I watch TV chefs, usually the english ones, take a bowl full of glossy sweet perfect berries and turn them into a stew. Oh the humanity!!!

But there are times when I want to look as if I've made a bit of an effort, other than just visiting the markets. So I am always on the lookout for gorgeous light desserts. At the end of a hot day nobody wants to plough their way through a pudding. All that's needed is a gentle hit of sweetness.



Which is how I came to make this lemon mousse. It met the criteria perfectly. Pity it was absolutely awful. This was all my own fault, of course. It is based on a kind of lemon curd mixture that is lightened with egg whites. Which would be fine if I had actually read the recipe and added the egg yolks to the curd. What I ended up with was a thin liquid curd that tasted of butter. When mixed the egg whites and cooled, it separated out a bit and went all kinda grainy. Not nice!!!

I don't know what I was thinking. I wanted egg yolks to make ice cream, so I think my mind just blanked out the whole egg yolk thing to make me happy. Which worked wonderfully well right up until I tasted my mousse.

So if you like aerated vaguely lemony flavoured butter, then you'll love my mousse. If not try the recipe below, it's probably delicious.


This is by the way Book #28 in the KJ wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge - bills food. I have had this book for years but have really not made much from it. The one thing I can highly recommend is the recipe for buttermilk cake with raspberry syrup - delicious!!!!

Lemon Mousse
(adapted from bills food)

4 eggs, separated
60ml lemon juice
zest 3 lemons
185gm castor sugar
150gm unsalted butter

Mix together zest, sugar, juice and yolks in the top of a double boiler. Stir over a low heat for about ten minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Slowly stir in the cubes of butter.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Carefully fold into the lemon mixture with a metal spoon.

Spoon into glasses and refrigerate until firm.