Citrus Mousse

Summer on a spoon, light, bright, and served as a surprise!

PREP: 2Hrs || CHILL: 4hrs || ASSEMBLE: 45mins

Citrus Curd

  • 4 Egg Yolks

  • 1/3 Cup Sugar

  • Zest of 2 Oranges

  • Juice of Half a Lemon (2 Tbsp)

  • Juice of Half a Grapefruit (1/4 Cup)

  • Juice of one Orange (1/4 Cup)

  • 8 Green Cardamum pods (Crushed)

  • 1/2 Bag Gelatin Powder

  • 1/4 Cup Ice water with Lemon Juice in it

Whipped Cream

  • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream (Chilled)

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Amaretto or Almond Liquor

Italian Meringue

  • 4 Egg Whites

  • 3/4 Cup Sugar

  • 1/3 Cup & 1 Tbsp Water

Citrus Bowls

  • Hollowed out Cara Cara Oranges (As many as you are serving)

  • 2x Segmented pink grapefruits

  • 1 Tbsp Cointreau

  • 1 Tbsp Honey

Prep the Meringue

  1. Place 4 egg whites in the base of a stand mixer bowl

  2. With the whisk attachment begin beating the egg whites at medium speed

  3. While the whites beat, and the water and sugar to a small sauce pan

  4. Let the water cover the sugar entirely and place on the stove under medium to medium low heat

  5. Do NOT touch the pan or move the sugar at all as it heats

  6. Let the sugar begin to bubble and ultimately boil at the ‘soft ball stage’

  7. Keep checking on your egg whites as the sugar heats to see you have achieved stiff peaks to the whites

  8. Using a candy thermometer or a laser thermometer heat the sugar to 244 degrees F

  9. At 244 degrees immediately pull the sugar off the heat and begin to stream the molten sugar into the egg whites with the mixture set to HIGH speed

  10. Stream the sugar in at the edge of the bowl, see photo

  11. Mix on high until all the sugar is incorporated, feel the exterior of the bowl, and turn the mixer down to medium only one the bowls exterior is no longer warm

  12. Turn the mixer off when the bowls exterior temperature is back at room temp, or cool to the touch

Whip the Cream

  1. In the bottom of a large bowl and the chilled whipping cream and the almond liquor

  2. Whip with a whisk or an electric beater to a just past standard whip cream texture, we want a fairly firm cream

Make the Curd

  1. Squeeze some extra lemon juice into the ice water and set aside

  2. Juice the citrus fruits into a bowl

  3. Add the zest and cardamom pods to the bowl

  4. In a medium sauce pan add the egg yolks and the sugar, beating the two together immediately so to not form tough portions of egg

  5. Add a Tbsp of the Ice Water to the 1/2 Gelatin packet and stir to bloom the gelatin, let sit for 10mins or so

  6. Meanwhile, add the citrus juice to the eggs, half at first mixing, and then the second half to fully incorperate

  7. Place the mixture in the sauce pan on a burner at low to medium low heat and heat, stirring the entire time the pan is on the heat

  8. It should take around 10-15 minutes for the mixture to thicken, you will see longer streaks in the pan, and some small boiling bubbles may begin to show on the edges of the mixture

  9. Remove from the heat immediately to not over cook

  10. Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer and empty into a room temperature bowl (The strainer should catch all the zest and Cardamom pods)

  11. Add the bloomed gelatin to the still warm mixture and stir to combine until all the pieces of the gelatin have completely dissolved

  12. Stir to cool the mixture down, feeling the edge of the bowl, wait until the curd is at room temperature before moving on to combining the Mousse elements

Combining the Mousse

  1. Start by adding the whipped cream to the meringue in a large bowl, folding together using a spatula

  2. Before the two are completely incorporated pour in the citrus curd, and gently continue folding until a completely combined mousse is formed

  3. Cover with plastic wrap pressing to the surface of the mousse to prevent any skin from forming on the exterior of the mousse

  4. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving

Building the Oranges

  1. Slice the tops of your oranges off about an inch to a 3/4 inch into the orange

  2. sing a pairing knife and a scissors hollow out the oranges, leaving some of the orange fruit left on the sides of the orange

  3. Cut the grapefruit segments into small spoon sized pieces and place in a bowl

  4. Add the Honey and Cointreau to the bowl stirring to combine

  5. Let the grapefruit marinate in the liquor for at least ten minutes

  6. Straining off most of the liquid, place a portion of the grapefruit in the base of each orange

  7. Fill the rest of the orange with the mousse, pressing down gently to ensure the orange is completely full. Be sure to not over fill though so the top can fit without squeezing mouse out the sides

  8. Re top the orange and serve with an almond cookie, or just on it’s own! (Almond Cookie Recipe)