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.
Next, take a spoonful. Heavenly.
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.
The ingredients are few (7, or 8 if you count a bit of water, not shown in the photo below)
and the steps to go from ingredients to mousse are quite simple:
- Combine the yolks and sugar;
- Add the lemon rind and juice:
- Mix in the whipped cream, then the dissolved gelatin;
- And finally, fold in whipped egg whites.
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.
Lemon Chiffon Mousse
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
-
Butter the inside of a large serving bowl and dust it with sugar to coat it completely. Set aside.
-
Separate the eggs, putting the yolks and whites into separate, large bowls.
-
Zest and juice the lemons. Set aside the rind and 2/3 cup of the fresh lemon juice.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says
This mousse looks delicious! I am a lemon fanatic! I really love the inclusion of the lemon rinds. Mmmm! 🙂
Laura says
Sherri, Glad you like it. I’m with you on the lemon thing – it’s such a wonderful and versatile flavor.
Kristina Ferguson says
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.
Laura says
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.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
Wow – I love lemon and cannot wait to make this!! It looks so delicious!!
Laura says
Thanks Kathryn. It is lemony – and quite delicious.
cindy neddo says
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
Laura says
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.
sharon bailey says
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
Laura says
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.
Alicia says
Could this mousse go on top of a grahm pie crust? Will the crust get watery? It reads magnificent. Thanks
Laura says
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.
susan dyck says
Would you consider freezing this dessert and serve right out of the freezer?
Laura says
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.