How to make: Lime Mousse

The recipe fest continues…the astrologer in me would say this is appropriate given that the sun is in the sign of Cancer…

Anyways, as I mentioned yesterday, our lime tree has been most generous. It’s a great opportunity to try a few new dishes. In fact, we’ve christened this week “lime week.” And yes, I’m aware of just how sad that sounds.

This one is a creamy, limey, tangy, foamy confection that despite the use of gelatine, is light and, well, moussey in texture.

Using yoghurt instead of cream is the perfect balance between the sweetness and the citrus tang- so hubby told me…being sugar free, I’m not eating it and the leftovers will be going next door.

So, the recipe.

Be warned, it’s a bit of a palaver and things get very sticky, and the eggs aren’t cooked, so if you’re pregnant or immune challenged or otherwise shouldn’t be eating any part of your egg raw, possibly best not to try this one.

Oh, another tip, I use gluten free gelatine sheets rather than powder- one sheet is plenty. If you’re on a gluten free diet, check that the gelatine you’re using is gluten free.

Thanks to a twitter follower who provided me with the link to this one.

What you need

• 1 envelope (about 2 ¼ teasp) unflavoured gelatine
• 1 cup sugar
• about 4 teasp grated lime zest- you’ll need 2-3 limes for this
• 2/3 cup lime juice- you’ll need 4-6 limes for this
• ¼ teasp salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 7 large egg whites
• ½ cup sugar (extra)
• 1 ½ cups reduced fat plain Greek yoghurt

What you do with it

• Prepare the gelatine. If you’re using sheet gelatine, soften it in cold water. If you’re using the powder, microwave it with ¼ cup of water for 20-40 seconds- it should be dissolved, but not boiling.
• Whizz 1 cup sugar and the lime zest in a mini processor. The zest will be finely ground, smell amazing and will evenly be distributed through the sugar.
• Pop the sugar, lime juice and salt in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. If you’re using sheet gelatine, squeeze the liquid out of it and stir it through the hot lime juice.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a medium, heatproof bowl. Without stopping whisking, very slowly add the lime juice- just a few drops to start with, then a little more. If you do this too quickly, it will scramble the egg & split the custard.
• Return the mix back to the saucepan and, still whisking, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take about 2-4 minutes.
• Take it off the heat and transfer to a stand mixer (or a deep bowl if you’re using a hand held). Beat until thick and pale- about 3-5 minutes. If you’re using powdered gelatine, dribble it in now, with the beaters still going. Continue to beat it until it’s at room temperature.
• Fold the yoghurt into the lime custard.
• Beat the egg whites until just foamy. Add the remaining sugar tablespoon by tablespoon, beating well in between. Continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and holding stiff peaks.
• Fold the egg whites into the eggy, limey, yoghurt custard. It’s best to do this in 3 batches.
• Divide between 8-10 ramekins or glasses and refrigerate until chilled- at least 3 hours. Garnish with extra lime zest if desired.

This recipe first appeared on http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes…all rights to the original author.