Meyer Lemon Curd Mousse Food

MEYER LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time until incorporated. Mix in lemon juice. Transfer mixture to a saucepan.
• Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring gently until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and simmer gently, stirring constantly, until curd is thick enough to coat a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.
• Transfer curd to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming as it cools. Allow to cool briefly, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until thick.

MEYER LEMON CURD MOUSSE

Steps:

• Sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs and yolks in a heavy small saucepan. Whisk in sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat; add gelatin, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves and mixture is slightly cool. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring after each addition, until smooth.
• Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to remove as much curd as possible; discard any undissolved bits of gelatin and egg. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir curd, and gently fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir before using.

LEMON CURD MOUSSE

Steps:

• With chilled beaters whip the heavy cream until thick. Fold the whipped cream into the lemon curd. Either blend the lemon mousse into blueberries. Or, layer mousse, fresh blueberries, and mousse in a wine glass; garnish with fresh mint.

MEYER LEMON MOUSSE CUPS

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, trim the tip end from a lemon so the fruit sits level. Cut stem end 1/4 of the way down lemon (or cut in a decorative pattern). Repeat process with 7 more lemons.
• Hold a cut and trimmed lemon over a sieve set over a liquid-measuring cup. Using a reamer, squeeze juice, and set juice aside. Scoop out flesh with a spoon (do not puncture lemon skin), and discard flesh. Repeat with remaining cut lemons. Measure 1/4 cup juice, and set aside. Reserve remaining juice for another use. Cover lemon shells with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. With a grater, remove zest from half of the remaining lemon; cover zest with plastic, and set aside.
• Make lemon curd: Place egg yolks, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 6 tablespoons sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set pan over medium heat; stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and edges of the saucepan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Pass mixture through a fine sieve set over a medium bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in reserved lemon zest. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• In a medium bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks with a handheld electric mixer. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Clean the whisk attachments. In a second medium bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, whip egg whites and a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Sprinkle in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue whipping until stiff glossy peaks form. Set aside.
• Remove lemon curd and whipped cream from refrigerator. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into curd to lighten the curd. With a large rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold in remaining whipped cream. Fold in whipped egg whites.
• Remove lemon shells from refrigerator. Transfer mousse to a medium pastry bag fitted with a coupler, and pipe into lemon shells. Chill until set, a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.

MEYER LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 teaspoons and squeeze enough juice to measure 1/2 cup. Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a metal bowl and add butter. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 5 minutes. Force curd through a fine sieve set into another bowl. Serve warm or cover surface of curd with wax paper and cool completely.

LEMON CURD MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar, whisk in the lemon juice and the butter, and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it just reaches the boiling point. (It took me between 10-12 minutes to reach the boiling point. Do not let the mixture boil.)
• Strain the curd through a fine sieve set over a bowl, stir in the zest, and let the mixture cool, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
• Chill the curd, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, whisk one fourth of it into the curd to lighten it, and fold in the remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
• Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl and chill it, covered, overnight.
• **Cook time does not include cooling the curd for 4 hours and the mousse chilling in the refrigerator overnight.

MEYER LEMON CURD MOUSSE

Steps:

• Sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, whisk egg yolks; whisk in lemon zest and juice.
• Cook, while whisking over medium low heat until thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in gelatin; stir in butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring well after each addition.
• Strain, pressing with a spatula, discard any undissolved bits of gelatin and egg.
• Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to surface to prevent "skin" from forming.; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• Stir and gently fold in whipped cream; refrigerate 1 hour longer.
• Stir before using or serving.