Mother Would Know

Home Cooking Beats Take-Out

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
    • About Laura / Mother Would Know
    • Privacy Policy
    • Websites I Love
  • Recipes
    • Browse All Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beef & Lamb
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Sweets
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Grains
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Soups & Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Kernels of Wisdom
    • Browse All Kernels
    • Cooking Equipment
    • Definitions
    • Ingredients
    • Techniques
  • Archives
  • In The News
  • Work With Me
    • For Companies, Brands, & Trade Associations
    • For Individuals
  • Contact

Easy Lemon Chiffon Mousse

December 15, 2015 by Laura 19 Comments

Sharing is caring!

201 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Lemon chiffon mousse. The name really doesn’t do this dessert justice. Imagine an edible lemon cloud  – a citrusy, airy delight with a texture that combines fluffiness and creaminess. Now, put that lemon cloud in a delicate glass.

Lemon chiffon mousse is elegant and simple to prepare.

Next, take a spoonful. Heavenly. 

Tasting lemon chiffon mousse is like eating a cloud of pillowy goodness.

Disclaimer – This post is sponsored by Kitchen Play in partnership with Safest Choice™ Eggs. As always, all opinions are my own.

I’ve had this recipe for years. I keep my handwritten version in a looseleaf notebook. Every time I look at it, I see the stains made when I dribbled on the page peering over the recipe. 

When we were newlyweds, it was the only non-chocolate dessert I made for parties. As we planned events, someone would inevitably ask if there would be lemon chiffon mousse. I always said yes – until news reports came out about the salmonella risks from raw, unpasteurized eggs.

My recipe called for raw eggs and the only eggs I knew about were unpasteurized. So, reluctantly I stopped making the mousse.

Then I discovered  Safest Choice™ eggs, which are pasteurized. That process kills salmonella, making it safe to eat or use them raw. So now I’m back in business, making my beloved lemon chiffon mousse.

Making lemon chiffon mousse with pasteurized eggs eliminates the risk of salmonella from raw eggs.

The ingredients are few (7, or 8 if you count a bit of water, not shown in the photo below)

Ingredients for lemon chiffon mousse.

and the steps to go from ingredients to mousse are quite simple:

  • Combine the yolks and sugar; 

Mixing egg yolks and sugar for lemon chiffon mousse.

  • Add the lemon rind and juice: 

Adding lemon rind and juice to egg yolks and sugar for lemon chiffon mousse.

  • Mix in the whipped cream, then the dissolved gelatin; 

Mixing whipped cream into the lemon chiffon mousse.

  • And finally, fold in whipped egg whites. 

Whipping pasteurized egg whites for lemon chiffon mousse.

The last step in making lemon chiffon mousse is adding the whipped pasteurized egg whites.

Lemon chiffon mousse made with pasteurized eggs is an elegant holiday dessert.

The pasteurization process does not change the color or taste of the eggs. It does however mean that when whipping them, as this recipe calls for, you need to add cream of tartar or lemon juice. I learned that lesson two years ago, and even did an experiment to see how much cream of tartar works best when whipping pasteurized egg whites.

The original recipe called for only a pinch of cream of tartar. I’ve upped that amount to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons in accordance with advice from Rose Levy Berenbaum, an amazing baker and the author of The Baking Bible. 

My official taste tester has always been a huge fan of this dessert and remembers the taste of the original quite well. After insisting that he had to try the test batch of the mousse several times this weekend, with each spoonful he sighed happily. When finally sated, he delivered his verdict – this version with pasteurized eggs and more cream of tartar tastes just the same, and just as wonderful, as did the original lemon chiffon mousse. 

5 from 1 vote
Print

Lemon Chiffon Mousse

A light lemon dessert that is perfect for any party.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, French
Keyword lemon, mousse
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 5 pasteurized eggs I used Davidson's Safest Choice™ eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 large/3-5 small)
  • lemon rind (from lemons used for juice)
  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup cool water
  • 2 cups heavy cream can substitute whipping cream
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. Butter the inside of a large serving bowl and dust it with sugar to coat it completely. Set aside.
  2. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks and whites into separate, large bowls.
  3. Zest and juice the lemons. Set aside the rind and 2/3 cup of the fresh lemon juice.

  4. Beat the egg yolks and sugar for several minutes until they are light in color and thick in texture. Mix in the lemon rind and gradually add the 2/3 cup of lemon juice, stirring until the ingredients are well combined.
  5. Soften the gelatin in the water and heat the liquid gradually, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is completely dissolved and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.
  6. Whip the cream until it has soft peaks and gently fold it into the egg yolk/sugar/lemon mixture. Add the gelatin to the whipped cream, egg yolks, sugar and lemon, stirring until the mixture thickens.
  7. Beat the egg whites for about 2 minutes, then add the cream of tartar. Continue beating for another 6 or so minutes until the egg whites form stiff but not dry peaks. Fold the egg whites into the mixture and pour it gently into the buttered and sugared serving bowl.
  8. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours until well set.

Recipe Notes

When zesting the lemons, take off only the top, yellow layer of skin. To the extent possible, avoid the white pith below the yellow exterior, as it is bitter.
The preparation time does not include chilling time.

Filed Under: Archives, Desserts & Other Sweets, Recipes Tagged With: chiffon, egg white, lemon, mousse, pasteurized eggs, sponsored post

« Chocolate Mocha Roulade
Stove Top Balsamic Glazed Carrots »

Comments

  1. Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says

    December 15, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    This mousse looks delicious! I am a lemon fanatic! I really love the inclusion of the lemon rinds. Mmmm! 🙂

    Reply
    • Laura says

      December 29, 2015 at 10:13 am

      Sherri, Glad you like it. I’m with you on the lemon thing – it’s such a wonderful and versatile flavor.

      Reply
    • Kristina Ferguson says

      December 31, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      I made this for our NY eve post seafood bonanza. Only thing about recipe is you had forgotten to say what to do with the gelatin in the written directions. You had it with your photos but I missed it! Ended up adding it after the cream. Taste still is awesome but I think the texture suffered. It’s all about the taste though!! 🙂 Will def make again.

      Reply
      • Laura says

        January 5, 2017 at 5:57 pm

        Kristina, Oops! You are so right. I described it in the photos above the recipe, but not in the recipe steps. Many thanks for calling that to my attention. I’ve fixed it now. Hope you enjoy it next time you make it – with the improved directions.

        Reply
  2. Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says

    December 17, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Wow – I love lemon and cannot wait to make this!! It looks so delicious!!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      December 29, 2015 at 10:12 am

      Thanks Kathryn. It is lemony – and quite delicious.

      Reply
  3. cindy neddo says

    August 4, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    going to make it into small desert cups do I put in large butter sugar covered bowl let set then put it in my small cups to serve? or put right in small cups then chill

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 21, 2018 at 10:37 am

      Cindy, You an do it either way. Sometimes I serve this mousse in plastic shot glasses. Obviously in those smaller containers, it needs much less time to chill and set.

      Reply
  4. sharon bailey says

    July 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    you did not say how much lemon rind to use and I never said this before this is
    the first time I have seen this recipe

    Reply
    • Laura says

      July 26, 2019 at 7:45 pm

      Sharon, My apologies – you are so right. I’ve corrected the recipe. The rind is whatever you get when you zest the lemons for the juice. It’s usually about 2 large or 3 small lemons. Hope you enjoy it.

      Reply
  5. Alicia says

    December 21, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Could this mousse go on top of a grahm pie crust? Will the crust get watery? It reads magnificent. Thanks

    Reply
    • Laura says

      January 15, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Alicia, If you put this mousse on top of graham cracker crust, do it at the last minute. Assuming that you pre-bake the crust, it should be OK for at least a short time. It’snot quite as thick as a key lime or lemon pie though.

      Reply
  6. susan dyck says

    April 5, 2023 at 12:01 am

    5 stars
    Would you consider freezing this dessert and serve right out of the freezer?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      April 12, 2023 at 4:11 pm

      Susan, Sorry I didn’t see your question before this. I’ve never done that (frozen this mousse and served it right out of the freezer), but it might well work. My only hesitancy is that I wonder if the consistency would be appetizing. I did try to research the idea asnd there are numerous lemon frozen mousse recipes. Also , there is this https://www.freezeit.co.uk/can-you-freeze-chocolate-mousse/ If you try it, please let me know what you think. Thanks.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

Join me for cooking adventures. You’ll gain confidence in your cooking abilities, find new ways to save time and money when preparing meals, and discover recipes and tips. Plus, we’ll enjoy ourselves.

Get 5 easy tips for home cooking success, checklists & recipes.

We never share your information.

Search

Follow Laura Kumin-MotherWouldKnow's board MotherWouldKnow Recipes & Tips on Pinterest.

Copyright © 2010-2025 Laura Kumin · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Implemented by WPopt

201 shares
  • 54
MENU & SEARCH
  • About
    • About Laura / Mother Would Know
    • Privacy Policy
    • Websites I Love
  • Recipes
    • Browse All Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beef & Lamb
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Sweets
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Grains
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Soups & Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Kernels of Wisdom
    • Browse All Kernels
    • Cooking Equipment
    • Definitions
    • Ingredients
    • Techniques
  • Archives
  • In The News
  • Work With Me
    • For Companies, Brands, & Trade Associations
    • For Individuals
  • Contact