Lemon Mousse with Raspberry Sauce
The raspberry sauce, known as a coulis, can be used to dress up a variety of desserts. Serve it over ice cream, chocolate or vanilla pudding, custard, or slices of flourless chocolate cake from your favorite bakery. Here, the sauce makes a wonderful topping for lemon mousse.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, or as needed
- 3 lemons
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 cartons raspberries, each about 6 oz.
Directions
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of the cream on medium-high speed until medium-firm peaks form, about 1 minute. Do not overwhip.
Finely grate the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze the juice from 2 lemons. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup cream. Using the electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth, adding more cream as needed to achieve a velvety consistency. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture.
Squeeze 1 Tbs. juice from the third lemon. In a blender, combine two-thirds of the raspberries, the 1 Tbs. lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 3 Tbs. water and process until smooth. Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds.
Spoon the mousse into individual bowls and drizzle generously with the raspberry sauce. Garnish with the remaining whole berries and serve immediately. Serves 8.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Desserts, by Elinor Klivans (Oxmoor House, 2007).