Lemon Snow with Custard Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 23, 2012
Time
50 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
LEMON SNOW
¼ cup cold water 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1 cup boiling water 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus ⅓ cup juice (2 lemons)Pinch salt 3 large egg whitesCUSTARD SAUCE
3 large egg yolks ¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar pinch salt 1 ¼ cups whole milk 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extractBefore You Begin
If you’re concerned about eating raw egg whites, use pasteurized shell eggs. Plan ahead, as both the gelatin mixture and the “snow” need to chill. To reduce the chilling time, place the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a second, larger bowl of ice water and stir occasionally. To make Orange Snow, use orange juice and zest in place of the lemon.
Instructions
- Place cold water in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk boiling water into mixture until gelatin dissolves. Whisk sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt into gelatin mixture until dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool and slightly gelatinous, about 2 hours.
- Combine egg whites and gelatin mixture in stand mixer fitted with whisk. Whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 11 to 14 minutes. Scrape lemon snow into bowl, or divide among dessert glasses, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt in bowl until combined. Bring milk to boil in small saucepan. Slowly stir milk into yolk mixture with wooden spoon. Return milk-yolk mixture to pot, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Stir in butter and vanilla until incorporated. Refrigerate until cool and serve with Lemon Snow.
for the lemon snow
for the custard sauce
Time
50 minutes, plus 4 hours chillingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
LEMON SNOW
CUSTARD SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
LEMON SNOW
CUSTARD SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
LEMON SNOW
CUSTARD SAUCE
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Lemon snow is a lemon-flavored egg white foam, lightly set with gelatin. It’s fresher and lighter than most desserts but satisfies a sweet craving all the same. It is almost always served with custard sauce made from milk or cream and thickened with egg yolks. Many of the recipes we tried included an overwhelming amount of lemon zest or lemon extract, making the snow more reminiscent of cleaning products than a dusting of fresh snow. We found that losing the lemon extract and using a combination of lemon juice and a modest amount of lemon zest gave us the fresh, not overpowering lemon flavor we sought. Most recipes call for whipping egg whites separately from a lemon gel made from sugar, water, lemon juice and zest, and gelatin. We found that the two parts could be whipped together and that this method yielded a more compact, almost creamy texture to the dish.
Before You Begin
If you’re concerned about eating raw egg whites, use pasteurized shell eggs. Plan ahead, as both the gelatin mixture and the “snow” need to chill. To reduce the chilling time, place the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a second, larger bowl of ice water and stir occasionally. To make Orange Snow, use orange juice and zest in place of the lemon.
Instructions
- Place cold water in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk boiling water into mixture until gelatin dissolves. Whisk sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt into gelatin mixture until dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool and slightly gelatinous, about 2 hours.
- Combine egg whites and gelatin mixture in stand mixer fitted with whisk. Whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 11 to 14 minutes. Scrape lemon snow into bowl, or divide among dessert glasses, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt in bowl until combined. Bring milk to boil in small saucepan. Slowly stir milk into yolk mixture with wooden spoon. Return milk-yolk mixture to pot, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Stir in butter and vanilla until incorporated. Refrigerate until cool and serve with Lemon Snow.
for the lemon snow
for the custard sauce
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