Today I want to share a secret love of mine which I've decided not to keep a secret anymore. I told all about it to my husband as well and I think he is now fine with it. So the thing is that I think I'm in love with Ina Garten. There.. I said it! Yes, if I could I would marry Ina right now! Her soft voice, that friendly smile and out of the world cooking mesmerizes me all the time. I mean what else does a person want?
She was the one who taught me my first chocolate cake which now people kill to have a bite of ( Ok not really kill, but it tastes decent!) and now she taught me how to make my first lemon mousse. And I can't even tell you how delicious it is. I mean Its Good!
Since I tasted that lemon curd for the first time which one of my dearest friend made for her own baby shower I've become a big fan of lemon desserts. So recently when I saw one of Barefoot Contessa's episode where Ina made a lemon mousse I thought I gotta try this recipe. I mean lemon and mousse. How can you go wrong with that? I tried it for the first time, I loved it. Then I made it again with a few changes in the recipe, I loved it again. So when I thought of making it for the third time in the same week, I decided I have to share it with you.
I tried making a low fat version of the same recipe and it actually tasted pretty good. It was not very different from the original 'not so low fat' one but I felt that mousse asks for that creamy texture which was not really happening when I made it low fat. So if you are not planning on making it three times in a week, you can certainly go for this recipe.
Ingredients: Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa.
3 extra-large whole eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Salt
1 cup heavy cream
Ina also used 1/2 cup bottled lemon curd which I didn't. For me the mousse was lemony enough without it but if you want yours extra lemony, you can add the lemon curd. When? I'll let you know.
Method:
Break three eggs in a heat-proof bowl. Now separate the remaining three eggs and add the yolks into the same bowl saving the while for later. Also add 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk.
This is the time to work those muscles a bit because you have to whisk, whisk and whisk until the mixture is thick like a pudding. You can also switch to a hand mixer once the liquid starts getting thick.
Take off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until completely chilled.
Now take out the saved egg whites from before, add a pinch of salt and place it in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny.
Add it to the bowl with lemon custard and fold very carefully or just wait for the whipped cream.
Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.
Fold it all together with the lemon custard. If you want to add lemon curd, this is the time to do so.
Chill for a couple hours before it all vanishes.
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