The Dog liked It !

Lemon Mousse with Almond Cookie

My kitchen is under a lemon invasion ! Lemons show up left and right. Big, fat, juicy lemons. Enough lemon tarts already, I am ready to move on. So I decided to experiment and the dog happily volunteered :)

I have had in mind for a while to make fruit mousse, either as a dessert or a filler for a cake. It's pretty common to find such fillings in cakes in french patisserie. I did a bit of research on french baking sites on lemon mousse. I know how to make a chocolate mousse and I wanted a similar recipe but with lemons instead. I actually found one pretty close, but with limes instead. The basic idea is to make a simple lemon curd and fold that with beaten egg whites. Very simple and quick to execute.

I had to adjust the measurements a bit since I was using big lemons instead of limes. The end results was a very lemony mousse. I have to underline it, it is a very strong lemon taste. For lemon afficionados only ! Cut back the number of lemons for a softer flavor.

I find the strong lemon taste appealing, personally. It helps with digestion after a big meal, like a lemon sorbet would, but with less sugar. I added some almond cookies to the mousse. They help counterbalance the sourness, and they are great to use as spoons !

The dog loved both. Two paws up ! And a wagging tail :)

Below is the recipe I used. Again, it is a strong lemon flavor. Adjust accordingly.

The mousse does not keep well for long. After a day in the fridge, it starts losing its consistency. It is best eaten the same day.

Lemon Mousse:

• 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 lemons
• 2 tbs corn starch

Collect zeste and juice from the lemons. Split the juice in half, put one half into a small cooking pan and mix the other half with the egg yolks and the corn starch. Bring the lemon juice in the pan to a boil, then add the eggy cream and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes. It will thicken quickly. Let it cool on the side.
Beat the eggs until firm. Add the sugar the zeste and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add the thick cream to the whites and fold crefully until blended.
Refrigerate for at least 4h.


Almond cookies:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 4 oz of soft butter

Mix eggs, sugar and extract, then add flour and almond flour. Work it with your fingers until you get a "sandy" consistency. Add the soft butter cut in pieces, and work them in with your fingers. You should be able to shape the dough into a ball without sticking to your hands (add more flour if it does). Place the dough in small cookie shapes on a non-stick pan (I use a high temperature silicon pad). Bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes, depending on how brown you want them.


Trick alert !!!
You know your whites are ready when you can flip the container and they don't slide out.