June 5, 2019

Lemon Mousse Tart —and Ethan, from Graduation through first year of University

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets, Events & Travel Ethan's graduation, mousse de limón, tarta de limón, university

One year after his graduation from high school, this blog post is for my son Ethan. I wanted to choose a dessert recipe to go with it, something sweet, because that’s how he is. I chose my recipe for lemon mousse tart, a light dessert I’m sure you will love as much as we do at home.

If you ask Ethan, he will say you don’t owe me anything, because it’s in his very nature to be grateful. But one of my first blog posts on Mama Ía blog was about Matthew, his older brother’s high school graduation. Ethan graduated last year, and don’t ask me why –– maybe being busier than usual with other projects––, time came and went and I never dedicated Ethan the graduation post I had done for his brother. So here it is: from high school graduation through his first year of college, a review of a year to honor him like he deserves.

Ethan is a middle brother, and like many middle brothers, he is very sweet and accommodating, choosing to never ruffle any feathers. He’s compassionate and sensitive and a joy to be around. He’ll bite his tongue rather than say something that might upset anybody. But don’t take this the wrong way: Ethan is by no means a pushover, he’s simply the definition of kindness.

It was no surprise to me that, when it came time to organize his graduation party, he wanted the bare minimum, to just have his friends over, like any other Saturday evening, for a bonfire and some food and laughs and fun. We had to persuade him that his graduation from high school was a milestone, something to celebrate with a bit of fanfare, not just with his friends, but with his friends’ families, with relatives and with teachers that had seen him grow and flourish to this point in his life. Moreover, he had accepted the offer from the University of Miami to study architecture, so this party in a way also served as a send-off.

Ethan‘s graduation party ended up being very similar to Matthew’s, and a fun, celebratory occasion. One big difference on my part: I didn’t cook all the food, as I had done for Matthew‘s party (that had been a huge endeavor and I learned my lesson) so we ended up catering it, which gave me a respite and an extra level of relaxation. Ethan‘s party reunited all of his piano, band and music teachers, a number of other high school teachers, and people that had been in his life for one reason or another, at one time or another, all of whom had left an imprint in his life. It was a beautiful, celebratory event, and at the end, I’m sure Ethan liked how it turned out, not too flashy or pretentious, just very special.

Weeks after the party, we left for our annual summer in Spain. But throughout the summer, Ethan felt a bit restless. Something was not quite right. Ethan is, in a way, a very private person, and has a hard time sharing his feelings. It was not until a couple of months later that he relaxed, and then shared his fears, the worries that had been tormenting him during the summer, and that could be summarized in his move to Miami, far away from home. What if he didn’t like living in Florida? What if he missed home too much? What if the school wasn’t the right fit for him? What if he didn’t like architecture, his chosen area of study? What if any of those fears came true and he had to waste a year of his life, or worse, his parents financial and emotional effort to send him there?

I don’t exactly know how long it took him —one day, one week, or a month— to prove that his fears were unfounded. Not only did he like the school, the architecture program, his new friends, and Miami: he loved it. He’s flourished in the different clubs he joined, managed to find time to referee soccer games, do volunteer work, play piano, visit and get to know all that Miami has to offer, and graduate his first year with the highest grades, the only first-year architecture student to make the President’s List. Needless to say, we are ecstatic and very proud of him, and are confident he’s exactly where he wants to be.

Ethan has been home for a few weeks now, and has started an internship at a local architecture firm. In the few weeks he’s been there, nothing has been dull: he’s been given responsibilities, he’s visited clients and local officials and organizations, he’s drafted plans and presented them to the clients. He’s on the right track and he’s living his dream. Ethan is all right, and we couldn’t be happier.

This is to him, and a favorite dessert: lemon mousse tart. Light, refreshing, and the best part, it doesn’t need an oven! Make it once and you’ll find yourself making it often.

LEMON MOUSSE TART

Tarta de Mousse de Limón

Ingredients:

            For the crust:

1 package Maria type cookies or tea biscuits

10 Tbs butter, softened

2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

            For the mousse:

1 small can condensed milk (avoid fat free kind)

1 cup whipping cream

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 lemons

 

Butter the bottom and inside walls of a round 9” springform. Cover the bottom with a cut-to-size piece of parchment paper and butter it as well.

Chop the cookies very finely, to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Using an electric mixer, mix the cookie crumbs with the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Spread this mixture on the bottom of the springform, pressing lightly. Place in the fridge.

In a medium bowl, mix the condensed milk with the lemon juice and zest (you can do it manually or use an electric blender). Whip the cream until soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Pour over the crust and level with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan before removing the cake from the springform. Decorate with a few strips of lemon zest, a thin slice of lemon, and a few mint leaves.