How to Achieve Lighter Pot de Creme Consistency?

[mab]

I made butterscotch pot de creme. It's came out very good, very smooth. But I tasted one at a restaurant that was lighter, more mousse like. Any ideas how I can tweak the recipe? https://thecafesucrefarine.com/butterscotch-pots-de-creme/

 

[Norcalbaker59]

The only way to create a mousse like consistency is to add whipped egg whites.

As written. I don’t think you can lighten this recipe. The granulated sugar is caramelized. Sugar caramelizes at 330°, which is 20° above the hard crack stage of boiled sugar. The higher the sugar temperature, the firmer the set.

The blogger mentions the recipe is adapted from Epicurious. She states she changed the sugars from muscovado and Demerara to brown sugar and granulated sugar. I looked at the original Epicurious recipe. Aside from changing the types of sugar, she increased the sugar that’s is caramelized by about 10%. She also uses about 2% more egg yolk in her revised recipe. These increases would make a denser custard.

The original recipe might produce a lighter custard. But a custard is always going to be denser than a mousse since the ingredients and methods differ..

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/butterscotch-pots-de-creme-108701