With an airy-creamy texture and citrus-bright flavor, this quick dessert captures the essence of an indulgent lemon mousse—but is far lighter than traditional versions. The key is low-fat cottage cheese. Its flavor is similar to cream cheese, and when whipped in a food processor, it becomes creamy and fluffy. Lemon zest and juice offer sunny notes, and crumbled graham crackers provide some crunchy contrast as well as a further nod toward cheesecake. You can make it up to a day ahead, but hold off on the graham cracker crumbs until shortly before serving so they stay crunchy.
Ingredients
1½ cups 1% low fat cottage cheese
3 tbsp powdered sugar (confectioners)
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¾ cup lite whipped topping, divided
2 squares graham crackers, crushed
2 slices lemon, thin, cut in half
Instructions
In a food processor, puree the cottage cheese on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice; process until well combined. Add ½ cup whipped topping; pulse just until combined. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 small bowls; top each serving with 1 tbsp of the remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top, and top each serving with a piece of lemon.
