Lemon Mousse

We went a tad crazy on how much lemon mousse we made but luckily is stays in the refrigerator for awhile.  There is nothing quite as good as the taste of a lemon dessert after a full meal.  Chocolate is amazing but lemon is lighter. 

Josh made this mousse and we quadrupled the recipe.  I know that is a no-no in baking but these type of recipes generally work out.  We ended up using 22 eggs instead of 24 because that is what we had.  Totally forgot to make lemon curd and had to go out and buy it.  Nobody really had it but they had a lemon cream with a curd base which I deemed acceptable.  This comes straight from Ina Garten, who IMHO, is a goddess in the kitchen.

This is for 6/8 people.

3 extra-large whole eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated (KEEP THE EGG WHITES)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good bottled lemon curd, at room temperature

In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 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 wooden spoon, for about 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is thick like pudding. When it got really thick, I used a whisk. 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 chill. 

We didn't realize that you had to cool this for 2 hours so w put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes and it worked just fine.  

Take half the egg whites that you put aside and beat with an additional 2 T. sugar until really stiff.  Fold this into the chilled lemon mixture.  Take the cream and beat until it also forms stiff peaks.  Then fold into the lemon mixture. Now take the lemon curd and fold it in too. 

Pour into a souffle dish or individual souffle dishes and chill.  Serve cold with whipped cream on top.  We served blueberries on top. 

Really lemony, rich and light at the same time and creamy.  A yummy dessert.