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It is hard to believe it has already been a year since Charlie and I embarked on our road trip through Italy last August! But as my photo memories popped up this month, I immediately was transported back to our Italian adventures filled with historic sites, unique culture and delicious food. One such food group we particularly loved during our trip was the lemon desserts of the Amalfi coast. Known for growing giant lemons which reflect the name of their location, the Amalfi region features not only local limoncello, but also many lemon desserts served within these lemons. From sorbets to mousses, you can find a variety of sweet treats focused on this local delight. To bring these delicious treats home and reminisce on summer memories, I thought it could be fun to create a lemon mousse inspired by the Amalfi coast. So, if you are looking to enjoy a taste of Italian summertime bliss in the comfort of your own home, be sure to try out this easy, creamy lemon mousse!

What’s Special About Amalfi Lemons?

With a bumpy yellow rind which typically comes in around twice the size of traditional lemons, Amalfi lemons have become a specialty of the region since the early middle ages. With shipping and fishing dominant within the region due to their coastal location, Amalfi lemons were bred between the traditional lemons brought in by merchants from the Middle East and the oranges grown throughout southern Italy. Soon groves of these large Sfusato Amalfitano lemons, the products produced from them and the artistic lemon symbol became synonymous with the region and its culture. Influenced by their distant orange relatives, the Amalfi lemons are not only larger, but also sweeter, juicier and less bitter than traditional lemons and are slightly more akin to the small Meyer lemon. (Tasting Table) These qualities make them perfect for a multitude of desserts, limoncello and other culinary delights.

Primarily grown in this region due to their protected geographical status, the Amalfi lemons are still cultivated with traditional techniques. This can make it more challenging to source the lemons outside of Italy and Europe (seasonally), so I used traditional lemons for this recipe to make it more accessible to recreate everywhere. Just know that for the most authentic Italian experience, Amalfi lemons would be best and perhaps might just require future trips to the Amalfi coast to enjoy within all their local glory.

Missing Italy? Try This Amazing Lemon Mousse For A Taste Of Summertime Bliss

Serving The Mousse With Lemon Cups

As in Italy, this lemon mousse can be served within lemons themselves. Certainly, Amalfi lemons provide much larger cups seeing how they are a larger size (Charlie and I could share!), however traditional lemons make a great single portion serving. If you don’t want to serve within the lemons, feel free to portion out within glass dishes or ramekins, however the lemon cups provide a fun spin. As described in the recipe below, to use the lemons as lemon cups, just be sure to hollow them out and even out the bottom to create a proper “cup” form. Pop the lemons in the freezer until ready to fill to help the mousse become extra cold. I will note that glass containers will make the mousse colder than the lemon cups during the setting time in the fridge, however if you want your mousse extra chilled within the lemon cups, just lower your fridge temp a bit or pop them in the freezer 10 minutes or so before serving.

Recipe

Creamy Lemon Mousse

Transport yourself to Italy with this easy dessert recipe! Light, refreshing and easy to make, this summer dessert is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Chill Time 3

Total Time 3 45

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Ingredients

Lemon Curd

2 Egg yolks
1 Whole egg
2/3 cup Granulated sugar
Zest & juice of 2 lemons
5 tbsp Butter, salted, room temp, cut into cubes
OR Lemon curd, premade

Mousse

4 oz Cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Lemon curd, from recipe above or premade
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
4 Lemons, large

Instructions

Lemon Curd

First begin with making your lemon curd. If you are using premade lemon curd, feel free to skip to the next section.
To make the lemon curd, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, and the zest and juice of two lemons to the top pot of a double boiler (or heatproof bowl if creating a make shift double boiler). Whisk ingredients together.
Next, add 1 to 2 inches of water to the bottom pot of a double boiler (or bottom saucepan) and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Set the top pot with your ingredients over the double boiler base and whisk continuously to prevent eggs from clumping as they cook. Whisk until the mixture becomes thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary throughout and continue to whisk until the curd is thick and reads at least 160° on a thermometer.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the sliced butter into the lemon curd. Transfer the curd to a bowl and add plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on top to prevent a crust from forming. Place the bowl into the fridge to fully cool, about an hour or two.

Lemon Cups

While the lemon curd is cooling, prepare your lemon cups if using. Select 4 large lemons and cut off the pointed "top". Over a bowl, use a knife or serrated spoon to cut around the top of the lemon to remove the initial contents from lemon.
Continue using a spoon or your fingers to remove all of the internal lemon pulp. There should be a thin lining which attaches the pulp to the rind which can be pulled out, making this process easier. Just be sure to not punch through the side of the lemon.
Once your lemon is hollow, wash and pat dry both the interior and exterior of the lemon. If needed, cut a small portion off the bottom to ensure your lemon cup sits flat. If this cut goes through the bottom of the cup, place the cut piece upside down into the base of the lemon cup to stop any holes.
Continue with the remaining lemons before placing each lemon cup in the freezer to firm up. Collect the juice from the working bowl and lemon pulp contents by using a strainer to strain it into a container. Save for other recipes.

Lemon Mousse

After your curd has fully cooled (or if you purchased lemon curd) and the lemon cups are prepared, it is time to make the mousse. Start by whipping the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Next, in a bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and lemon curd. Once mixed without any lumps, fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly mixed.
Divide the lemon mousse into the lemon cups (or other serving containers) and place into the fridge to chill completely, at least 2 hours.
Serve cold with a dusting of lemon zest, mint or whipped cream and enjoy!

Keyword Dessert, Easy, Fruity

Final Thoughts

While some things are best experienced within their local settings, it can be such fun to experiment with new creations inspired by those fun memories. For me, these creamy lemon mousse cups were just the thing to transport me back to the Italian coast and certainly gave me a taste of summertime bliss. Whether you are just now enjoying a summer holiday or are gearing up to go back to school and work, I hope that this cheerful recipe helps to evoke happy summertime memories from this summer and summers past. But I have to know, are you a big lemon dessert fan? If so, be sure to give this recipe a try and send it to a lemon loving friend you want to experience a taste of Italy with!

Happy baking!