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Lemon mousse

FDL
By
Fine Dining Lovers
Editorial Staff
Difficulty
Intermediate
Total Time
3H 15MIN
Ingredients

Egg: 1

Egg yolks: 2

Granulated sugar: 4.7 oz

Fresh lemon juice : 4 oz

Unsalted butter: 6 tbsp

Heavy cream: 8.5 oz

Confectioner's sugar: 2 tbsp

Fresh, light, and zesty, a lemon mousse dessert is the perfect ending to a delicious meal. Find our best recipe for lemon mousse below

How to make this lemon mousse recipe
01.

Place the egg, egg yolks, and granulated sugar in a saucepan and whisk to combine. Then whisk in the fresh lemon juice. 

02.

Add the unsalted butter and start heating the mixture over a medium heat, whisking continuously. Once it’s bubbling, stir with a spatula for a few seconds then remove from the heat. 

03.

Push the curd through a strainer and then leave to cool. Cover and chill in the fridge until cold. 

04.

Whip the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar together until stiff peaks form. Then gently fold the chilled lemon curd into the whipped cream mixture until fully combined. 

05.

Transfer into 4 glasses or jars, and serve. 

Tips & tricks

For the finest lemon curd mousse, make sure you only use freshly squeezed lemon juice. This will bring the signature vibrancy to a lemon mousse that this dessert is famous for. A common mistake when making any mousse is to underchill the ingredients and overwork the cream. You do need to make sure the curd mixture has had ample time to chill in the fridge, ideally leaving it for at least an hour, if you want to get the mousse as close to perfect as possible. With regards to the creamy, sugar mixture, you want to aim to create stiff peaks that form when you lift the spatula out of the mixture. This will give your mousse its structure and texture. Folding is another key technique that you’ll need to master to get the best mousse. It’s important to approach this step carefully, as you don’t want to deflate the eggs and create a dense mousse. Folding is more time consuming than simply mixing it in, but it’s a vital step in any mousse recipe to keep the end result light and fluffy. 

Whilst we’ve shared a simple lemon mousse recipe above, some chefs will introduce other flavors like white chocolate or pistachio nuts, to add additional flavor profiles and depth. And to add a contrasting texture you could crunch in a layer of crackers to the bottom of your jars. 

If this treat is a hit in your household, then try making an Italian lemon delight for your next lemon-based dessert. It’s a more complicated dessert to make than a lemon mousse, but it’s ideal if you want to serve an elegant, refined last course to your guests. 

How to serve it

You can enjoy the lemon mousse straight from the fridge, as it is, or it’s possible to add a few garnishes on top. A grating of lemon zest and a dollop of heavy cream helps to bring out the fresh flavors of the mousse, or you could crumble shortbread onto the top of the mousse for added texture and sweetness. If you want to add even more fruit to the dessert, then positioning a couple of blueberries on top of the mousse is a colorful way to garnish this treat. Or a few raspberries arranged with a mint leaf is another classic lemon mousse garnish. And for a playful serving suggestion, try spooning your mousse into a martini glass or jam jar. 

Storage

Lemon curd mousse can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. You can helpfully make this dessert ahead of time, and have it ready to serve to guests fresh from the fridge during your dinner party. Any leftover mousse can be covered and kept in the fridge. 

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