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Prep time
35 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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serves
6-8, depending on the size of your serving dishes
Author Notes
This mousse has all the tangy flavors of cheesecake, whipped into a light as air frenzy. It’s also a slightly less intimidating introduction to the method of making mousse. Traditional mousse recipes can have up to three aerators contributing to that light and fluffy texture: whipped egg yolks (or sabayon), whipped egg whites (or meringue), and/or whipped cream. A flavorful base ingredient is then lightened with those aerators, and chilled until the mousse is set, sometimes with gelatin, adding an additional (and temperature sensitive) complication. This recipe uses cream cheese as the base—so no real preparation there. It’s whipped with the cream to form a thick and stable mixture. While it’s already quite fluffy, it’s lightened further by folding in meringue, which gives the final mousse a truly ethereal texture—no gelatin or any other thickener required. I like to pipe or spoon the final mousse into little cups, then keep it in the fridge for when I need a little sweet. It’s perfect all on its own, but I especially love it topped with fresh fruit or a dollop of jam. To dress this up even more, try a drizzle of melted chocolate and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs. The mousse cups will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
—Erin Jeanne McDowell
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Ingredients
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8 ounces
(226 grams) cream cheese
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1 1/4 cups
(295 grams) heavy cream
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1/2 teaspoon
(2 grams) fine sea salt
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1 teaspoon
(5 grams) vanilla extract
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Zest of ½ lemon
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3
large (65 grams) egg whites
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) granulated sugar
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1/4 teaspoon
(>1 grams) cream of tartar
Directions
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Prepare 6 small bowls or other individual serving dishes. Place on a baking sheet, and make room for that baking sheet in your refrigerator.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium speed. With the mixer running, add the cream in a slow, steady stream. Add the salt, and continue to whip to medium peaks. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix to combine. Set aside.
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Bring a medium pot with 1 to 2 inches of water in it to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a medium, heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over the pot of water and heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reads 175°F/79°C on a thermometer, and the sugar is fully dissolved.
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Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer (or use an electric hand mixer) to whip the mixture on high speed to medium peaks.
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Add about one fourth of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and mix well to combine. Then, add the remaining meringue in 2 additions, folding gently until incorporated.
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Spoon or pipe the mousse into the prepared serving bowls, dividing evenly between the dishes. It’s ready to serve immediately, but I prefer to chill it for at least 1 hour (or up to 1 week). Keep chilled until ready to serve.
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!
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