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I made this for Easter 2008 and loved it. Only thing to remember:
start early in the morning to eat it for dessert at dinner time.
Curd
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups Graham Crackers (about 7 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Mousse
5 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
Lemon slices, cut into quarters (garnish)
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom
of 8-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Blend cookie
crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom of pan. Bake
until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool.
For Curd: Mix sugar and cornstarch in heavy large
saucepan. Gradually add lemon juice, whisking until all cornstarch
dissolves. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Add butter. Stir over medium
heat until curd thickens and boils, about 12 minutes. Transfer to
medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1
week ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd and keep chilled.)
For Mousse: Pour 5 tablespoons water into small
saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over. Let stand until gelatin
softens, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 3/4 cups lemon curd
in large bowl. Stir 3/4 cup curd in another small saucepan over
medium-low heat until very warm. Stir gelatin mixture over medium-low
heat until dissolved and liquid is clear (do not boil). Whisk warm
gelatin mixture into 3/4 cup warm curd. Gradually whisk gelatin-curd
mixture into curd in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg
whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar,
beating until whites are thick and glossy. Fold whites into curd
mixture in 3 additions. Using same beaters, beat cream in another
medium bowl until peaks form. Fold into egg white-curd mixture in
3 additions.
Pour enough mousse over cooled crust to fill pan completely. Pour
remaining mousse into small bowl and reserve. Cover and chill mousse
cake, reserved mousse, and remaining curd overnight. Using long
thin knife, cut around cake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Gently
spread 3/4 cup of remaining curd over cake. Transfer reserved mousse
to pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe rosettes of mousse
around top edge of cake. Chill cake until ready to serve. (Can be
made up to 8 hours ahead.) Arrange lemon slices between rosettes.
Cut cake into wedges.
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