Lemon-Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

Nothing goes together better than good dessert and good friends!

God has blessed me with three irreplaceable "kindred spirits" (yes, I'm an Anne Junkie)!  We all live in different cities now, so any chance the four of us get to be together, we take advantage of it.  This year, there happened to be ONE night that all four of us close to Corvallis, so we made it happen.  In addition to enjoying fantastic fellowship and laughter, we also enjoyed this:

Lemon Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

I always wish that fancy desserts came in larger portions... This was so delicious and refreshing... my only complaint was that I wanted more!  

Ingredients:

3/4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbl. sugar

2 Tbl. water

pinch salt

3 Tbl. water

3/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1/2 c. whole milk Greek yogurt

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest plus

3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

6 Tbl. sugar

Directions:

For the blueberry sauce, bring the blueberries, sugar, water, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is heated through, 2-4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much puree as possible (there should be about 1/2 cup sauce).  Spoon the sauce evenly into six 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.  

For the Mousse:  Meanwhile, pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top.  Set aside to let the gelatin hydrate for 10 minutes.  In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together until smooth.

Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar together in a large bowl.  Set the bowl over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until it has tripled in size and registers about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes.

Off the heat, quickly whisk in the hydrated gelatin until melted.  Whip the warm mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it forms stiff, shiny peaks, 4-6 minutes.  Add the yogurt mixture and continue to whip until just combined, 30 to 60 seconds.

Divide the mousse evenly among the chilled ramekins with the blueberry sauce, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and set, 6-8 hours (I left it in the fridge overnight).  Serve chilled.