Sometimes even the big guys make mistakes. I mean big as in TV GUIDE big. But if it wasn’t for TV Guide’s typo in one of its cookbooks, I may never have tried this recipe at all, and that would have been a bigger mistake. As it turns out, I now have a brand new favorite dessert and it couldn’t be any easier to prepare. I can almost guarantee if you love lemony lusciousness, it’s going to be one of your new favorites too. So here’s the story. Years ago, TV GUIDE produced the Celebrity Dish Treats and Sweets Cookbook with recipes from television stars who are also gourmet cooks like Barbara Mandrell and General Hospital’s Robin Mattson. As I’m perusing the pages, I come across a recipe for Lemon Syllabus. Syllabus?

Now I’ve heard of Lemon Syllabub, but never the latter. The best way to describe Syllabub is a creamy, fluffy decadent lemon mousse. The recipe has been around for centuries and it got a new life recently when it was served up on PBS’s popular series Downton Abbey.

I had never tried Syllabub before—it was never in my cooking syllabus. But it is now.
I’ve given you two different versions, both ridiculously simple. One is with apple juice and the other with white wine. Both take about 10 minutes to make and an hour or so to chill, and each has a wonderful, rich flavor. I just ask that you don’t let your guests know how simple Syllabub is to whip up. Instead, serve it as if you were a Cordon Bleu master chef. It tastes that good. So, that’s the story. From a “syllie” typo to a decadent dessert that I will now serve time and time again!