Ultimate Lemon Mousse

Breaking your heart today was not my intention, but you should probably know straight up that until you've tried this dessert, you have absolutely no clue what your favorite dessert is.

I was amazed. How can something as simple as a lemon curd mixed with whipped cream and then combined to puffy, fluffy air like divinity be so, well, divine?? I mean, I love citrus anything, blah blah blah, and anything citrus- dessert- related, and there shouldn't have been any reservation or doubt about how wonderful it truly turned out to be.

And for moments on end as I couldn't halt myself from licking the bowl clean, a brief second of happiness breezed through my mind with contentment that my husband doesn't share the same citrus crush as me.

That meant, more mousse for later. For me. For only.......... me.

Oh lemon mousse, you make me selfish, greedy, gluttonous, but extremely delighted and happy.

This might be the one and only thing you catch me eating in heaven.

Heavenly lemon dessert!

Ultimate Lemon Mousse

{Luscious Lemon Desserts, Lori Longbotham}

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp plain gelatin

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp freshly and finely grated lemon zest

½ cup fresh lemon juice (please no bottle stuff, please??)

Pinch of salt

6 large egg yolks

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over. Allow to blossom, or stand, for 10 minutes until the gelatin is soft (you’ll know!).

Meanwhile, melt butter slowly in a large heavy saucepan. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar, zest, lemon juice, and salt. Rapidly whisk in the yolks and using some serious arm strength, whisk is all together until smooth. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (you need to be supervising this process each second!). Do not allow it boil however..

..Remove the thickened curd from the heat, and stir in the gelatin mixture until it’s visibly dissolved. Pour this through a strainer into a bowl- let it cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.

Beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Add the cream gently to the lemon mixture, working in three batches- fold ever so carefully so that the cream keeps its voluptuous volume!

Divide the mousse evenly between bowls and chill for a couple hours. When ready to serve, garnish with sweetened whipped cream, berries, or whatever.