ka-boom!
Recipe: lemon mousse bombes
It’s the last day of March, kids! Where did all of that time go? Our local farmer’s market is opening this weekend and I’m both excited and a little leery. Excited, because I love farmer’s markets in general and Boulder has a nice one. Leery, because if I recall correctly, early season doesn’t have a lot of fresh produce to offer (particularly the fruit). See how living in Southern California can spoil the heck out of you (me)? I especially miss harassing the asparagus dude at the Pasadena Farmer’s Market (and then the Alhambra Farmer’s Market the next day).
My enthusiasm for cooking and baking and blogging waxes and wanes. There are times when I just don’t want to bake or cook (or at least blog about it) for several days. Knowing this, knowing myself, I have a stash of recipes in queue for just those times. I think I got into the habit when I kept having to dash to the ER last year or when I knew I’d be out after a chemo infusion. But when my enthusiasm is on the upswing, like it is now, I just write a list about a mile long with ideas and recipes I want to make and shoot and I wonder if the old recipes will just languish in the archives for months on end (some are already 6 months old).
start with white chocolate
… and you guessed it, temper the chocolate!
Do you like white chocolate? I find more women like white chocolate than men. I mean, I find more women than men like white chocolate… I can’t really say if women like white chocolate more than they like men. In my case, I don’t like eating white chocolate. Come to think of it, a lot of men are idiots – so that’s a toss up! A ha ha ha!
I was never a fan of white chocolate, but the first time I tried this pastry, I found the white chocolate to be a nice touch rather than an overly sweet distraction. It totally changed my opinion of white chocolate. When my advanced tele class ended, I wanted to bring a special treat for my betties to enjoy at lunch and this recipe jumped out at me from my pastry course notebook. I love these bombes even more than the dark chocolate bombes.
brush three coats of chocolate onto the molds
If you temper the white chocolate, it’s important to note that the temperatures are different from the temperatures for tempering dark chocolate. Generally, you want to melt the chocolate over gentle heat (a water bath is what I use – taking care to NEVER let steam or water come into contact with the chocolate or it will seize) to about 112-113°F. Then remove the chocolate from the heat and cool it over ice packs (with a towel between the bowl and packs) while agitating the chocolate with a silicone spatula without introducing too much air. Watch the temperature and when it drops to about 93°F, seed it (toss in a few pieces of tempered white chocolate) and continue agitating until the temperature falls between 85-87°F and start using the tempered chocolate. In this case, I brushed my molds with tempered chocolate, three times, waiting for each coat to solidify in between brushings. If your chocolate is in temper, it will cool quickly.
folding the lemon mousse
Whenever assembling bombes with mousse, the mousse should be made last and right before the assembly because it’s going to set. I had my lemon chiffon cake cutouts, coated molds, and macerated raspberries at the ready!
pipe mousse into the molds
I filled these molds about 3/4 full with the lemon mousse (so good! I’m crazy about lemon). I *think* the cake base is ideally supposed to be imbedded in the mold, but that means less mousse and I’m all about that mousse. My cakes stuck out from under the molds, but no one I know seemed to care.
top with a round of cake
This time, I didn’t whack the molds on the counter to level the mousse like I did with the dark chocolate bombes. As a result, no crazy cracking patterns in the dome tops! Sometimes it pays to refrain from brute force. After a good freezing, the bombes unmolded without any problem (I love those silicone molds). They were freaking amazing. My friends were so thrilled to tuck into these and the other ski groups around us were so totally jealous. If you make these, I hope you are a social being, because you will make friends.
unmolded and pretty happy
sliced in half and really happy
Lemon Bombes with Macerated Raspberries
[print recipe]
modified from the Culinary School of the Rockies
8 oz. white chocolate, tempered and ready to use
1/2 recipe lemon chiffon cake (1 sheet cake)
4 oz. raspberries, fresh
2 oz. Grand Marnier or Cointreau
1 lb. lemon mousse (make this last)
lemon chiffon cake
makes 2 11×17-inch sheets or 2 9×3-inch rounds (you need only one round)
this recipe originally intended for baking at 5300 ft.
14.5 oz. cake flour (I use all purpose flour at 8500 ft.)
8.75 oz. confectioner’s sugar
6.75 oz. whole milk
6 oz. canola oil
3.25 oz. eggs
4 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. baking powder (may want to add more for sea level)
13 oz. egg whites
9.5 oz. granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Oven 375°F. Prep pan by buttering bottom and sides. Place parchment in pan and butter the parchment. Sift dry ingredients (except granulated sugar) into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (except the 13 ounces of egg whites and granulated sugar) in the large bowl until combined. Whip whites and granulated sugar to medium peaks. Fold into batter gently in thirds and make sure the mixture is uniform or you may end up with separation during baking. Bake until set, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and remove from pan. Let cool on a rack.
lemon mousse
2 1/2 tsps powdered gelatin
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
10 oz. heavy cream (medium peaks)
8 oz. lemon curd, freshly made or warmed
1 oz. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp lemon extract
Bloom gelatin in lemon juice then melt it to 100°F. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Cover and put in refrigerator. Blend together the warm curd with the corn syrup and the lemon extract, stirring with a whisk. Add the melted gelatin to the curd. Strain and cool the mixture to 70°F. Temper half of the whipped cream into the curd mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Immediately use the mousse, cover and refrigerate until set.
Assembly: You will need bombe molds for this recipe. Combine the raspberries with the liqueur and allow them to macerate for at least an hour. Coat the molds with tempered white chocolate – about three coats will work. Cut rounds from the chiffon cake (use a cutter that is the same diameter as the base of your molds). Fill a pastry bag with the lemon mousse and pipe it into the molds, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 full. Remove the raspberries from the liqueur and drain them on a paper towel. Place 2-3 berries in each mold and press them into the mousse, but not too far or else they’ll show through in a creepy way. Place a cake round on each bombe and press it into the mousse. Brush the cakes lightly with the reserved liqueur (oops! I forgot to do this, but I bet it would have been awesome). Freeze the bombes until they are firm and unmold them. Serve at slightly cooler than room temperature.
March 31st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
These look absolutely amazing! They’d make a great easter treat.
March 31st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
gorgeous! i love those bombe molds too!!
Quick question – what does it mean to “bloom gelatin in lemon juice & melt to 100′”? Do you do this is in a pan? double boiler? help!
Thanks! :)
~Rose at http://www.bitemekitchen.blogspot.com
March 31st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
You inspire me! And make me laugh. I love following your blog :) Your pics are amazing and your recipes almost always something I want to try to make.
March 31st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
beautiful, I’ll get those molds one day!!
March 31st, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Oh that’s a beautiful sight from under my blankie :)
You rock the bombs my dear!
There is something magical and delicious about white chocolate, lemon and raspberries!
March 31st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
That ‘sliced in half’ photo is amazing!
I love white chocolate (the good stuff, bad white chocolate is much worse than bad regular chocolate – think Kinder Surprise – eeehw) but mainly got tuned into it because I from time to time get allergic reactions to dark chocolate. But then some men also give me the hives so your toss up might be right on :D
March 31st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Wow I love the colors and the creativity!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
This looks amazing. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Gorgeous photos!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Wow, a dessert that makes you like white chocolate? I always find it too sweet, but I could see how the raspberry and lemon would balance it out nicely. And I seriously, *seriously* need to get those bombe molds and learn how to temper chocolate. Too fabulous.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
So elegant and mouth-watering. Can I join your tele betties? Just kidding!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
These look so good!! Like little snowballs with a surprise inside (how appropriate for your skiing buddies!) It’s funny; in my experience the only people I’ve ever met who like white chocolate are men. :)
March 31st, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Oh wow, you’ve almost got me feeling brave enough to try tempering chocolate. Those look divine. I’m not a white chocolate fan in general, but I’ve discovered that white chocolate strawberry whipped ganache is insanely good on mini cupcakes.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:52 pm
They look outrageous. I wish I was your neighbor. I would do chores around your house!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:56 pm
this is really cute! the surfaces are perfect!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
holy freaking crap. you make the most beautiful (and delicious i’m sure) things ever. incredible!!
March 31st, 2009 at 5:56 pm
They sound so lovely, and look like snowballs :)
March 31st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
If I could reach into my computer screen and grab those lemon raspberry bombes and eat them, I would! Another amazing post. Thank you for the great work. Also, I know what you mean about getting used to California farmers’ markets. It’s easy to get used to a year-round growing season.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
they all look spectacular, but the tiny ones are super cute :)
I need to get me some silicone molds!
March 31st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
These are awesome!
NAOmni
March 31st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Pretty!
March 31st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Another beautiful dessert.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
SO pretty. You’re amazing.
And yes, we Californians are totally spoiled ;) pea shoots, fruit, fresh corn and kettle corn for me at the farmer’s market tomorrow.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Where do you come up with these ideas? Just spectacular!
March 31st, 2009 at 8:08 pm
WOW! Those bombes look spectacular!!! I prefer milk chocolate, but I would definitely eat this!
P.S. A lot of women are idiots, too. *sigh* …especially when they fall in love.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
White chocolate: nasty to eat, pretty to look at, especially when there are raspberries peeking out.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:59 pm
These are sooo pretty. I must try!
March 31st, 2009 at 10:00 pm
you are doing amazing things! I cannot imagine doing them myself, so just watching them here:)
I wish I could have a bite of this one…
March 31st, 2009 at 10:00 pm
This is really pretty! I dont like white chocolate. Well, if I had one of this maybe my opinion of it will change haha!
The pure whiteness of it reminds me of winter! I tried tempering white chocolate ones. Only to have it seize! Darn！
March 31st, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hi Jen –
Sorry, if I missed it, but what brand of white chocolate did you use? I just blogged a recipe that required tempered white chocolate (two times, same recipe actually) and I used two different brands for the different steps – Ghiradelli and Callebaut – and got varied results. I’m not that used to working with it but was wondering – what is the brand that you used here?
March 31st, 2009 at 11:16 pm
You are officially the bombe queen. Dang, you have definitely mastered the art of the “bombe.”
March 31st, 2009 at 11:41 pm
So pretty and spring-like! A delicious dessert.
I guess anybody can tell you that their enthiusiasm in the kitchen is not always the same every day or week. We all have our highs and lows, I guess!
Cheers,
Rosa
April 1st, 2009 at 12:15 am
Wow! Those bombes look so perfect :). The sliced in half image makes my mouth water.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:43 am
Just beautiful!
April 1st, 2009 at 2:58 am
this is one amazing project – i am never this patient with desserts… too fiddly! but then again, if dessert was the only thing i was making, i could probably convince myself. in any case, if ever i do want to do something really elaborate like that, i know where to turn… these little beauties sound like the perfect treat!
April 1st, 2009 at 3:48 am
[…] lemon mousse bombes recipe | use real butter […]
April 1st, 2009 at 6:11 am
It just makes me wonder why we don’t just make everything with white chocolate and lemons.
The world would be a better place.
Nice work!
April 1st, 2009 at 6:36 am
I wanna be like you when I grow up =)
April 1st, 2009 at 7:46 am
You are so encouraging..in so many ways.
I have never tried a silicone mold, fearing that they wouldn’t hold up to their hype, but you prove it can be done and you even encourage their use. (I think my biggest problem is that I’ve heard too many cupcake and cake breakage stories when folks tried using them.)
Oh, thanks so much for admitting that there are days when you just don’t want to blog. I work on this issue often and have wound up telling myself that I can’t give something valuable if it just isn’t there. Or course, having made this statement, others may argue that I NEVER give anything of value. And to them I admit this:
“Oh yes, but I am so happy living in my own little world.”
LOL
Kudos to you, Jenzie!
;)
April 1st, 2009 at 9:03 am
You had me at “start with white chocolate”… I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE white chocolate! I have a question, though- (not that I’ll ever make a recipe like this one anytime soon; I’m into quick and easy cooking/baking and this is beyond my skill set) if you are tempering the white chocolate, where do you get the already tempered stuff to throw in for the seeding? Do you need to temper a little bit first, then temper the main batch?
April 1st, 2009 at 11:20 am
This is so so beautiful and looks so delicious.
This is a bit complicated for me as so much different steps, still i would love to try and make this.
Don’t have a flexible mould, will have to buy them first.
If i make them i will sure inform you.
I will try my best to make them.
April 1st, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I love your blog and that looks fabulous yet again!
April 1st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
There is an explosion of moisture in my mouth right now. Dang!! Those are some incredibly gorgeous photos!!!
This is the most tantalizing recipe I have come across in weeks! Lemon and Raspberry is my all-time favorite combination. Thank you so much for this.
I love white chocolate, but only some versions. I have tried cooking with many brands, and the only commercial brand I like is Hershey’s, believe it or not, which is not easy to find. either. I actually have to special order it by the case. I do not like cooking with Guittard, Ghirardelli, Lindt, or any of the other brands of white chocolate I have grabbed off the shelves in bar form out of desperation. They all have too much of an oily cocoa butter flavor that tastes like canned evaporated milk, which I abhor.
I am impressed that you are able to blog about food at all while undergoing chemo. You have amazing strength and tenacity. Hang in there, and may the force be with you!
Brightest blessings,
~ Paula
April 1st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Those are just gorgeous! I grew up in Pasadena and always get a little jolt of surprise whenever I hear anyone mention it. Probably because I lived in the Northeast for ten years where nobody had heard of it, and now I live in West L.A. where people are like “East of Hollywood I do not go!”. Pasadena’s still my favorite Saturday market though — I sometimes drive over there to shop with my mom.
April 1st, 2009 at 6:52 pm
now drooling.
April 1st, 2009 at 7:00 pm
ah-mazing! i love lemon and raspberry and these may convince me to like white chocolate too. i’ve had my eye on those molds ever since you’ve been blogging about them…they are vying for the top spot on the wish list. beautiful job jen!
April 1st, 2009 at 8:55 pm
i’ve never had a bombe but these are the most gorgeous sounding & looking desert! i can almost imagine how they would taste. i bet they are to die for…one day yonder, i’ll try these.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:53 pm
How gorgeous are those. I am so wanting a bombe mold now. I have bombe mold envy. ;)
April 1st, 2009 at 10:53 pm
How do you pronounce Bombe…
Bom-bay?
Bomb?
Bomb-buh?
Help!
(Also – how incredibly good do these look? Maybe as a summer project, I’ll make them.)
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
I wonder if I’ll ever have the patience to try working with chocolate… I must say tho, I’m not a big fan of white chocolate at all. Maybe I’ve never looked for good white chocolate – I think most of it tastes like wax! But these look amazing, and i totally agree about upping the volume of mousse! Gorgeous as usual!
Glad the inspiration is returning! :)
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
this are soooo adorable!:)
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
[…] Recipe: Lemon Mousse Bombes: Recipe from Use Real Butter (make sure to scroll dooooown to check out the final product–Hello!). […]
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I totally agree with you about white chocolate–and found that your peppermint bark is the only one I’ve ever enjoyed. So when it comes to all things white chocolate, I trust you. :)
April 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Jen, I really like white chocolate used in desserts like this one, and I especially like it paired with citrus and acidic flavors (love white choc with passion fruit). You added raspberries and made them irresistible! Not to mention they are too cute!
April 6th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Meghan – thank you. I didn’t even think of Easter! ;)
Rose – oh! Well, I guess bloom means to let the gelatin become “gelatin” from it’s powder or sheet state. Basically, to let it absorb liquid. I just pop it in a little saucepan and heat it to about 100 degrees. Doesn’t take long at all.
Jayme – aww, that’s so nice of you to say. Thanks for dropping by!
Nico – :)
Tartelette – I’m glad you’re feeling better and more like your normal self! Thanks, I don’t seem to mind white chocolate so much when it’s paired with lemon mousse!! :)
Ronine – ha ha! That’s hilarious!
Hannah – thanks, hon.
Lori – thanks :)
Caitlin – I’ll bet you could get away without tempering the chocolate and the molds would still leave a nice finish. The chocolate wouldn’t break as cleanly, but I doubt anyone would notice that while they’re digging in.
Dragana – if you do, you’d get a lemon bombe too!
Amy – that’s such a cute image ;) Wow, men who like white chocolate? That’s interesting, as all of the men I know like DARK chocolate. hee hee.
Jennywenny – mmm, that sounds really really tempting. I suppose there is a place for white chocolate in the world ;)
Kathy – oh! That’s so funny. My neighbors don’t do any chores and they still get goodies – so you wouldn’t have to do chores either.
Janet – thanks!
Haya – :)
Y – huh, I hadn’t even thought about the snowballs until people began commenting about them!
Tracy – oh boy oh boy do I miss those CA farmer’s markets. *sigh*
Tony – hey hon! Those molds are totally awesome – I *love* them! Be sure to get at least one sheet of the mini molds, because they are a ton of fun (just a small bite of yumminess – who can resist?)
NAOmni – thanks!
Macie – :)
Whitney – thank you.
Steph – *blush* Definitely have some fresh corn for me – we’re months away from it here…
Ciaochowlinda – I can’t take credit for the idea, I learned it in my class.
Memoria – I prefer dark chocolate and yet this worked well with the lemon and raspberry.
Kristin – yes, I think the thin shell helped to mask the cloyingly sweet taste of white chocolate.
Piee – :)
Sybil – it’s like biting into a cloud!
Mrs. E – yes, seizing is a pain and I hate it when it happens :(
Lauren – in my class we used Cocoaberry. This time, I used El Ray. I don’t know that much about white chocolate, but I haven’t found one that really strikes my fancy yet.
PE – ha ha, thanks ;)
Rosa – true true, very wise words, my dear!
ETE – :)
Joanne – thank you.
Johanna – I guess they are a bit of work, but so worth it if you like these things (I admit, I love bombes – they’re just so fun).
Graeme – you’re so cute ;)
Sil – oh no! You’ll make everyone around you crazy – ah ha ha!
Margie – I was leery of the silicone molds for a while too, but – they’re really wonderful! Yes, the enthusiasm comes and goes so I just try to even it all out over time ;)
Kim – oh that’s easy! The little discs of white chocolate or the chips of white chocolate or even chunks of white chocolate that you buy are all tempered to begin with. So you just reserve a few chips or discs or chunks so that when the rest is at the right temperature, you toss them in and they will seed the tempering. Neato, eh? :)
Happy Cook – thanks and best of luck! I hope you try them and meet with success.
Marie – thank you :)
Paula – I think that’s what I dislike about white chocolate in general – that it tastes like canned evap milk! Thanks for verbalizing that for me :) I don’t follow white chocolate too closely as I don’t like any of the ones I’ve tried… except perhaps Valrhona… I might have disliked that one too. *sigh* Oh hon, I’m not undergoing chemo now. I did that last year (but I still blogged, yes – it keeps the sanity). Thanks.
Kate – yay! Pasadena is a special little splotch of green in the LA Basin sprawl :) Say hi to the market for me!
Lori – ;)
Cindy – go for it! The molds are worth every penny. I love them!
Susan – the combination of the thin shell of chocolate with the creamy mousse and soft cake and those berries is really really pleasing. You can do something like this without a bombe mold (you could use a ring mold).
Peabody – you of all people must have bombe molds, right?! :)
Mary – sounds like bomb.
Mollie – yes, I think it tastes like rotten milk wax. blegh. right! inspiration is returning, you know, cause I blog for you ;)
Amy – thanks!
Laura – awww, you’re so sweet!
Patricia – oh, now I’m jealous. It’s so hard for me to find passion fruit and I *love* it! I have to agree that white chocolate paired with citrus is really lovely. Probably one of the few ways I enjoy white chocolate (in small doses)!
April 6th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
i’m just catching up on my reading and encountered your extremely pretty lemon-mousse-bombes…jen, those are the most adorable little things i’ve ever seen. all the boys at my house like white chocolate, so this would go over well with them…perhaps cindy would lend me her molds once her wish comes true ;-) as always your execution is flawless.
April 8th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
awww..I love them! mmmm…need to make these ASAP :)
April 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Those look absolutely amazing!
I need to find some mold like that so I can make some of my own. Love that it’s not actually hard to do… or at least you don’t make it look that way!
April 9th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
oh gosh, i love the looks of this! DEFINITELY on my to-make list
April 9th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Those look so good! The vibrant red contrast of the berry is amazing!
April 10th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Sabina – thank you!
Glimmer – they’re delish, I hope you like them.
Brilynn – nope, just lots of steps, but totally worth it.
Patti – yay :)
Kevin – thanks, sweetie!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:34 am
they look amazing. I’m planning on making them as my birthday gift for my collegues. I’m sure they’ll be impressed if they turn out as good as they look on your photos.
Now I only need to find good molds, cooking chocolate, corn syrup (never seen that here) and fresh raspberries.. or do you think frozen will work just as well?
Kristine, The Netherlands.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Kristine – I think frozen should be fine as long as the raspberries are not too watery (just pat them dry before macerating in Grand Marnier). Corn syrup is also called invert sugar, me thinks? Good luck!
April 14th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Beautiful – will agar be substituted for gelatin? Thanks Jen!
April 21st, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Maya – oh sweetie, I have no idea about agar. I have never used it in baking before, so it’s hard for me to say. Someone on a vegan site might be able to help you? sorry!! :(
May 16th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
This sounds marvelous I will try it but how many does it serve.
Thank you
May 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Diana – at least 12 if using the larger mold forms (and a little extra maybe).
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Very belated, as I tried this recipe months ago, but I love these! They turned out great (erm, except for the chocolate, which I can’t temper!)- the lemon curd by itself is to die for.
I’m working up the courage to try the chocolate mousse bombes. I’m afraid of mousse, but the lemon curd has convinced me to expand my horizons.
Thank you!
April 9th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
[…] April weather). At any rate, I made a yuzu mousse filling by modifying a lemon mousse recipe found here on Jen Yu’s blog. I also flavored a creme brulee insert with lavender, which also served as an excuse to introduce […]
July 29th, 2013 at 8:11 am
How many bombes does this recipe make. Looks good and would like to try.
Thanks
August 6th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Penny – sorry for the delayed reply! I believe you can make about 12 normal sized bombes with this or 30 mini bombes.
November 22nd, 2021 at 7:21 pm
I made your recipe on the weekend and it turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.
I ended up using blackberries and Cassis.
April 21st, 2022 at 3:05 am
Hey! How early can these be made in avance? Can we make and keep in the freezer some time (days/weeks/months) in avance?
Thanks!
April 21st, 2022 at 8:08 am
Catherine – You can probably make these up to a couple of weeks ahead as long as you wrap and seal them well and store in the freezer. Just allow them to come to room temperature before serving so the mousse can soften.