Lemon mousse with lemon and pink pepper shortbread
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- plus chilling plus freezing
- Easy
- Serves 8
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD
- 90g soft butter
- 50g caster sugar
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 75g plain flour
- 25g cornflour
- 2 tsp pink peppercorns, roughly crushed
MOUSSE
- 250g caster sugar
- 3 1/2 large lemons, zested and juiced
- 3 eggs, separated
- 4 sheets gelatin, we use Dr Oetker platinum grade, 2g per sheet
- 300ml double cream
Method
- STEP 1
For the shortbread, put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat together with the sugar.
- STEP 2
Add the lemon zest and mix well.
- STEP 3
Add the plain flour, cornflour, peppercorns and a pinch of salt, and stir until it comes together as a soft dough.
- STEP 4
Shape into a 10cm sausage and wrap in clingfilm. Put in the freezer.
- STEP 5
For the mousse, put the sugar in a small saucepan with the zest.
- STEP 6
Squeeze the juice from the lemons, plus the ½ from the shortbread, into a jug, then top up with cold water to give you 300ml of liquid.
- STEP 7
Pour into the pan and, over a medium heat, stir until the sugar melts.
- STEP 8
Add the egg yolks and whisk for 5 minutes, keeping just below boiling point. Pour into a large dish to cool slightly.
- STEP 9
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
- STEP 10
Once the lemon mixture has cooled to warm, remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze.
- STEP 11
Add to the lemon mixture, stirring until dissolved.
- STEP 12
Loosely cover with clingfilm and leave to cool.
- STEP 13
Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
- STEP 14
Put the cream in a second mixing bowl and whisk to soft peaks, then add the lemon mixture to this, a third at a time, and continue whisking.
- STEP 15
Use a large metal spoon to fold the egg whites through the lemony cream, mixing until just incorporated.
- STEP 16
Pour into 8 glasses and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- STEP 17
Heat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3½. Remove the shortbread dough from the freezer.
- STEP 18
Unwrap and cut into 5mm discs, spacing generously over 2 lined baking sheets. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden.
- STEP 19
Serve the mousse with the biscuits.