Fresh lemons, with their yellow skin and tart/sweet aroma, evoke an image of sunshine. This idea suits us fine on a gloomy, gray day in the Ocean State. Squeezing the fresh juice from these aromatic fruits into a luscious pudding cake is one good way to take away the winter doldrums. This dessert, with its layer of soft pudding oozing out from the cake portion, has been around for a long time. Pudding cakes are easy to make, either from scratch, or with a package mix. This particular recipe is suggestive of a soufflé, with the beaten egg whites folded into the mix before baking.
The lemon varieties most often found at local supermarkets are the Eureka, with its textured skin and a few seeds, the Lisbon, with a smoother skin and seedless, and the Meyer, a bit sweeter, and not always available locally in Rhode Island. Lemons will stay fresh at room temperature, away from sunlight, for about a week, but for longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
Before using a fresh lemon in recipes, be sure to wash the skin so any bacteria on the surface will not be transferred to the interior. They produce juice when warmer, so juice them at room temperature or place them in a bowl of warm water to warm them up.
Luscious Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe
3 large eggs, separated
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
½ cup milk, regular or low-fat
1/3 cup flour
½ cup sugar
Dash salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk in lemon juice, peel, and milk. Add flour, sugar, and salt. Beat until smooth. In mixer bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Bake in greased or cooking sprayed 1-1/2 quart baking pan. Place pan into larger pan, such as a 13x9-inch size. Then place in preheated oven. Pour very hot water into larger pan so that it comes up about 1-inch deep. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top and set. Serve warm or at room temp topped with whipped cream. Serves 6.
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