Lemon Mousse

Cooking Instructions

1. Have a large bowl of ice water ready for Step 2. Place a small bowl and beaters or a whisk in the freezer to chill for Step 3.

2. Place 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; sprinkle in gelatin and stir to blend. Set aside to soften. Whisk eggs, 1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda), zest and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Place over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the softened gelatin; whisk until blended. Transfer to a large bowl. Set the bowl over the bowl of ice water and stir gently with a rubber spatula just until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the ice bath and set aside, but stir occasionally.

3. Whip cream in the chilled bowl until soft peaks form.

4. Place reconstituted egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda), beating until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

5. Whisk one-fourth of the meringue into the cooled lemon mixture. Fold in the remaining meringue with a whisk. Fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Divide the mixture among eight 2/3- to 3/4-cup dessert dishes or wineglasses. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Working with gelatin: When making mousses that are set with gelatin, chill the base mixture quickly by setting it over a larger bowl of ice and water before folding in the beaten egg whites and whipped cream. This thickens the base enough to give it a similar consistency to the beaten egg whites and whipped cream, making for a homogeneous mixture and better volume. If the base starts to set too quickly, simply place it over a bowl of warm water and stir gently for a few seconds.

To make decorative swirls in the sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons nonfat vanilla yogurt and 2 tablespoons low-fat milk until smooth. Drop small dollops of the mixture onto the sauce and draw the tip of a skewer or knife through them.

Ingredient note:

Pasteurized dried egg whites called Just Whites can be found with baking ingredients or in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets. Reconstitute them according to package directions. They are distributed by Deb-El Foods. For more information, call (908) 351-0330.

Related Recipe: Blackberry Sauce