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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Chill Time3

Total Time3 45

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Dessert, Easy, Fruity

Servings: 4

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.

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.

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!