German Lemon Mousse ( Zitronenspeise)

This creamy, cloud-like mousse is a traditional German dessert called Zitronenspeise (lemon dish). It is the perfect ending to a heavy meal and a melt-in-your-mouth heavenly dessert. ​

Traditionally, it is made with cream, eggs and lemon juice. After several trials, I made a lighter version using yogurt and less cream and sugar. There are several ways to serve this lemon dessert, either in individual serving bowls or in one large bowl. I like to serve it spooned onto a plate with a raspberry sauce and some added seasonal fruits. Since it is now October, I baked some plums with honey added. But any seasonal fruit is fine. Of course, this dessert is great just be itself without anything extra.

At the end of July my friend Debra who writes a blog called “East of Eden” and I attended the 2016 International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) in Sacramento, CA. We enjoyed a wonderful weekend filled with excursions to local farms, some great break-out sessions, and a spectacular outdoor dinner. One evening, vendors from local restaurants, food suppliers and businesses introduced us to their products, one of them being pasteurized eggs from “Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs.” Read how the eggs are being pasteurized here, which includes a cute video. Now that I found these eggs, I don't have to worry using raw eggs when I serve this dessert to my friends and family.

I am entering my recipe in a contest that Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs has offered to bloggers who participated in either the IFBC conference, Eat Write Blog or Blog Brulee to develop a recipe using their eggs. Because I received a discount to attend the IFBC , I agreed to write three posts about the conference. For the record, all my opinions expressed are my own.

​This is not a difficult recipe, but it's important to follow the steps. It is also important to use a thick creamy yogurt, as runny yogurts won’t do. This is a very delicate dessert, so you want to chop the zested lemon finely , so you don’t end up with strands of lemon zest.

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

(This makes 6 generous servings)
​
1 cup heavy whipping cream (100 ml)
3/4 cup white sugar (150 g)
3 pasteurized eggs, separated
8 oz (1 cup or 227 grams) plain creamy yogurt
1/3 cup lemon juice plus 2TBS  (120ml)
½ tsp. grated, then chopped lemon peel
1 envelope unflavored gelatin  
¼ cup cold water
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1.Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Begin whisking on medium speed, adding the pinch of salt. Increase the speed, and when the egg whites get frothy, slowly sprinkle 4 TBS of the sugar in small increments. The egg whites should triple in volume and the sugar should be dissolved, which will take about 6-8 minutes. 

2.Transfer the beaten egg whites to a different bowl.

3.Add the whipping cream into the mixer bowl (there is no    need to wash the bowl) and beat until stiff. Transfer the whipped cream to yet another bowl.

4. Heat some water in a medium-sized pot. Using a heatproof bowl, sprinkle the envelope of gelatin over a ¼ cup of cold water. Let the gelatin stand for a minute or two until it softens. Set the heatproof bowl in the pot with the simmering water, and stir the gelatin until it is completely dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat, keeping the bowl with the gelatin in the pot of water.

5. Using the whisk attachment, beat the the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar in the mixer bowl (the one you haven’t washed yet), until yellow and fluffy for several minutes. Add the lemon juice and yogurt and mix well. 

6.Stir in the gelatin from the heatproof bowl. Carefully, with a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Next, fold in the egg whites with a circular motion. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream and the beaten egg whites. 

7. Finally, pour the mousse into individual bowls or a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is a great dessert to make ahead of time. 

Guten Appetit!
recipe by©Sunnycovechef
​​