Quick Lemon Mousse

Quick Lemon Mousse - the mere mention of it makes my mouth water. Wow is this good stuff! I first saw the recipe featured during a cooking segment with Lucinda Scala Quinn on Martha's show a couple of weeks ago. It also appears in the May 2010 issue of Everyday Food.

Not only is this recipe incredibly easy to make, but it's pretty flexible too - the directions say you can vary the amount of fresh lemon juice, as well as the amount of unflavored gelatin used, depending on how far in advance you'd like to prepare it. Additionally, I found the amount of sugar in the recipe is also adjustable.

I made my lemon mouse using farm fresh raw cream given to me by a friend - what a treat that was! I garnished the mousse with wild black raspberries and candied lemon slices.

If you love lemon, you'll really want to give this recipe a try!


Check out the difference between the store bought, ultra pasteurized cream on the left, and the farm fresh raw cream on the right. Sorry for the poor lighting - the photo was taken at night, but you can still see the amazing color difference. Not only is there a huge difference in color, if you look closely you can see the farm fresh raw cream is much creamier in texture.

Quick Lemon Mousse
May 2010 issue of Everyday Food, adapted by ButterYum

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Makes four 8-ounce servings

1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained (I used 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup cold water
1 packet (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored powdered gelatin
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
Pinch Kosher Salt
1 cup cold heavy cream
Fresh berries and candied lemon slices for garnish

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and water; sprinkle gelatin on top and let sit until softened, about 2 minutes. Fill a medium bowl with ice water; reserve. In a small saucepan, combine gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt over medium heat; stir until gelatin and sugar dissolve, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in ice bath; stirring occasionally until mixture reaches room temp, about 1 minute.

In a large bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add cooled gelatin mixture and continue to whip to desired consistency. Divide among dessert dishes and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes, or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.

Note: This recipe can be made in advance by reducing the gelatin to 1 1/2 teaspoons; chill in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours. Truth be known, I sampled some leftover mousse made with the full amount of gelatin that had been refrigerated for several hours - it was a tad on the firm side, but still quite edible and delicious.