Meyer Lemon Mousse with Pomegranate and Mint

My family is not big on decadent desserts even during the holiday season.  Maybe it's because we love decadent savory food so much, but wasting calories on a cake or a cookie makes no sense to us.  I know.  We are weird.  But even weird people want to end a meal with something mildly sweet on special occasions.  That's how I came up with this lemon mousse.  It's light and refreshing, takes 5 minutes to make, requires no cooking skill whatsoever, yet looks and tastes great.  Very not Helen.  But don't worry; I'll be back to my usual self in the next post.  It will be intimidating, time-consuming, expensive, requiring lots of delicate knife work, politically incorrect, and orgasmically delicious.  Can you guess what the post will be about?  The first person to guess correctly will get a gift certificate for one of my cooking classes.


Meyer Lemon Mousse with Pomegranate and Mint

Note: this works with many citrus fruits, not just meyer lemons.  Regular lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, and blood oranges all make a good substitution for meyer lemons.

Use a Microplane zester to remove lemon zest or chop it extremely finely if using a coarser zester.

2 tsp meyer lemon zest and 3 Tbsp juice (from 1-2 lemons)
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup very thick plain Greek yogurt or good quality sour-cream (I like Fage brand)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Garnish ideas:
Pomegranate seeds or other berries
Mint
Pistachios, finely chopped

Combine lemon juice, cream, yogurt, condensed milk, and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until the cream foams, and forms soft peaks when you turn off the mixer and lift the whisk.

Stir in the lemon zest with a spatula.  Scoop into bowls and serve with the garnish of your choice.

Can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, but may require re-whipping if not served relatively soon.