Summer Sun In a Bowl

As much as I love, love LOVE to bake, when summer starts to heat up, I start looking for different ways to put something sweet on the table without turning on the oven. My freezer is pretty well stocked with ice cream, so I was pleased to find a new, cool dessert in Ina Garten's new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

It's a lovely, tangy lemon mousse. Just a little time with the stove and then it's refrigerator time all the way! You can put it into a trifle dish, individual parfait glasses, or, like I did, my fabulous $10 at a garage sale crystal bowl. Isn't it nice? And if you look closely at the rim, you can see that I do live in the land of tall evergreens. Also, if you're not from the land of tall evergreens, you might not know that gorgeous flower is a rhododendron, the state flower of Washington.

There, don't you feel all educated? Now go whip up some mousse to enjoy when the sun's beating down on you.

(Note: I'm listening to the rain beating down on my deck as I type this. This is Washington, after all. But on the plus side, that means I can bake today!)

Fresh Lemon Mousse
- Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

3 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good bottled (or homemade) lemon curd, at room temperature
Sweetened Whipped cream
Sliced lemon for garnish

1- In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly witha wooden spoon for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is thick, like a pudding. Use a whisk when the mixture begins to thicken.

2- Take the bowl off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until compleltely chlled.

3- Place half the egg whites (discard the other half or save to stir into scrambled eggs or an omelet) and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed. Add the remaining f2 tbsp sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Carefully fold the beaten whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula.

4- Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl or whisk) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Fold in the lemon curd and pour into a souffle dish or your prettiest serving bowl. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices. Chill and serve cold.



Sweetened Whipped cream

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the shisk attachment. Whip on medium and then high speed untilt he cream just forms stiff peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.