Monday, January 24, 2011

Lemon White Chocolate Mousse: Going Swimmingly

Yesterday was yet another day dedicated to the sport I truly love: synchronized swimming. We had a meet for the most advanced athletes in the DC/MD/VA region, which took most of the day, but was a blast. And it was really great because our senior swimmers swept every event they entered - one of our swimmers even won four gold medals.


For the record, swimmers can only enter four events. So winning four gold medals is the best a swimmer can possibly do at one meet.


Now the important thing: These meets mean that I have a chance to unload baked goods and other chocolate treats on my fellow officials and coaches. Yesterday was no exception, and I was able to share a dessert based on a lemon white chocolate mousse that offered a bit of tart, a bit of sweet, and a lot of cream.

Lemon White Chocolate Mouse Ingredients (as inspired by Betty Crocker)

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

3 ¼ cup cream, divided

2 tablespoons dried lemon peel

10 ounces white chocolate, chopped (Callebaut)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix lemon peel and 1 ¼ cup of cream, set aside. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy, then slowly beat in the sugar.

Heat cream and lemon peel in a saucepan over medium heat until just hot. Remove from heat, stir half of this mixture into the yolk mixture, then recombine with remaining cream mixture in saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate until smooth, then stir in lemon juice.

Refrigerate mixture at least two hours. Once mixture is chilled, beat until slightly fluffy, then separately whip remaining 2 cups of cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.

Fold half the cream into the white chocolate mixture, then fold this mixture into the remaining cream.

While this mousse is perfectly wonderful on its own given the contrast of the sweet white chocolate and the tart lemon, I wanted to add another flavor to the mix, so I whipped up a quick raspberry sauce to serve along with it.

Creamy Raspberry Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cream

¼ c pureed and strained raspberries

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan, and heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Serve a dollop of mousse with a drizzle of raspberry sauce.


Wonderful flavor contrasts carried by a super-creamy mousse. Just incredible.

Have you made mousse before? How did it turn out?


18 comments:

  1. I do I do I do love me some lemon desserts :) Years and years ago I made real mousse, then I discovered me lactose intolerance and made an horrific tofu mousse. Ever since then, I've been too scared to try.

    Also very impressed with your synchronised swimming awesomeness! I've never known anyone involved with that sport before :)

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  2. Congrats to you and your swimmers! I didn't know synchro was an individual sport, too. Interesting.

    And this looks yummy, per usual :)

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  3. I've made mango mousse before....sooo good!
    This looks fabulous as well!
    Congrats with the synchronized swimming meet!

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  4. I've only had a mousse a couple of times and it just didn't do anything for me...not that it doesn't look good though!

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  5. I've never made mousse! I'm not sure why either, because it's GOOD.

    Synchronized swimming .. very cool. Congrats on the turnout!

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  6. I didn't know you were involved in synchronized swimming! I did it for 9 years and I coach now. How are you involved?

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  7. @Hannah Hmmmmm....maybe try a lemon-white chocolate custard (egg-based) instead. Mmmmm...Lemon and white chocolate.

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  8. @Beth Thanks! The kids have individual figures that they have to do, plus they can compete in a bunch of routine events (solo, duet, trio, team). My swimmer won figures, solo, trio, and team. She's good :).

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  9. @fitchocoholic Oh I do hope you post your mango mousse recipe soon!

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  10. @thehealthyapron Everybody's got to pick their indulgences. I personally like mousse WITH other things, usually not alone.

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  11. @NYgirl@heart No time like the present to give it a try :).

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  12. @Jess@atasteofconfidence I swam for Menomonee Falls and Ann Arbor for six years, and then swam at MIT for one year. Now I am a coach for an age group team and a national judge. Yay synchro!

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  13. I adore mousse. I first made it, with my mom's help, for a project when I was in 6th grade. It was delicious then and is just as delicious now. Chocolate is still my favorite, but I've made a meyer lemon mousse that's to die for.

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  14. I love chocolate mousse..just not a fan of lemon. Looks great though.

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  15. @Victoria (The District Chocoholic)

    that's awesome! I swam for the tonawanda aquettes for 9 years. Small world :)

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  16. @Sara Oh wow, do you have recipes for either up on your blog? Meyer lemon sounds AMAZING.

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  17. @Beaglebea You could probably do this with another fruit - citrus would be easiest, but berries might work too. Just try adding some strained pureed berries when folding everything together.

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  18. @Jess@atasteofconfidence Awesome! Were you at AG Nationals last year to watch? I was judging :).

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