a light lemon mousse for a december day

this is one of my favourite desserts. tangy and rich, it is still very light. this is another moosewood recipe from a tiny little book i have called cookbook classics by mollie katzen. i also like this particular recipe as it does not contain gelatin as called for in some recipes for stablization. it uses cornstarch instead.

lemon mousse dessert

ingredients:

1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c water

1 tsp lemon zest, optional

2 egg whites , room temp.
1 c whipping cream (35%)

method:

put cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan. add lemon juice and water and whisk til smooth. heat on medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and pudding like.

you can do this in a microwave as i often do. just do it on high power in one minute increments until thickened. think pudding.

put this in a mixing bowl and stir in the lemon zest. let this cool to room temperature.

in another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. fold into the lemon mixture carefully. now put this in the fridge.

with the same beaters, beat the whipped cream until firm but still light. fold this into the lemon mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.